Zone Level Model

 
Flowchart diagram of the zone level household models

Household Models

In the census block level UrbanSim application, buildings are associated with census block locations.  No publicly available data on non-residential buildings is available nationally, so the representation of non-residential space is omitted from this version of the model.  From one year to the next, residential units are added to census blocks based on vacancy rates in each submarket (residential building type - tenure combination), and the location of these units is based on factors such as accessibility, prices, rents, and other local factors, subject to development constraints imposed by local jurisdictions.

Employment Models

Jobs are associated with zone locations. From one year to the next, jobs choose whether to move or stay in their current location, and if they choose to move, they make a location choice from the available zones that have remaining capacity for jobs. Job capacity is calculated by dividing non-residential space by space per job assumptions. Factors such as accessibility to jobs and population, and local employment composition all influence location choices of jobs of different industry sectors.

Flowchart diagram of the zone level real estate models

Real Estate Model

Buildings are associated with zone locations. From one year to the next, residential units and non-residential space are added to zones based on vacancy rates by building type, and the location of added units/space is based on factors such as accessibility, prices, rents, and other local factors, subject to development constraints imposed by local jurisdictions.