Alex Anas, “Urban Modeling: What do Chicago, Paris, and Los Angeles Have in Common?”

The Regional Economy, Land Use and Transportation Model (RELU-TRAN), a computable general equilibrium model of the urban economy, has been applied to Chicago and Paris and is currently being developed for Los Angeles. The address will focus on issues and policy questions common to the three metropolises, as well on important differences among them. In particular, what do the three applications teach us about the cost urban sprawl imposes on human interaction, and about the importance of public transit in facilitating adjustments to high future gas prices? What have we learned about data issues and modeling techniques?
Alex Anas obtained the Ph.D. from the University of Pennsylvania in 1975. During 1975-1991 he was on the faculty at Northwestern University, and has been Professor of Economics at the State University of New York at Buffalo since 1991.  He is a Fellow of the Regional Science Association International, and the Homer Hoyt Institute for Advanced Studies in Real Estate.  His current research is focused on the development of RELU-TRAN, a computable general equilibrium microeconomic model that is suitable for testing the effects of a variety of policies and plans on urban economies. Among his recent publications is “Discovering the efficiency of urban sprawl” published in 2011 in the Handbook of Urban Economics and Planning, Oxford University Press.
Lunch is available 12:30-1:00.

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