Spatial decisions and processes are fundamental to the understanding of spatial structure. In the earlier stages of spatial analysis proposed explanations were typically on the aggregate, phenomenological level. Now a new field has evolved and matured which calls for a deeper understanding of spatial structure with a particular emphasis on spatial decisions and processes. The present volume serves as a guide and as an anthology by discussing a wide variety of new modelling approaches, techniques and issues related to spatial decision and processes and drawing these seemingly disparate, but interlocking parts together.
This book argues that complexity theory offers new departures for (spatial-) economic modelling. It offers a broad overview of recent advances in non-linear dynamics (catastrophe theory, chaos theory, evolutionary theory and so forth) and illustrates the relevance of this new paradigm on the basis of several illustrations in the area of space-economy. The empirical limitations - inherent in the use of non-linear dynamic systems approaches - are also addressed. Next, the application potential of biocomputing (in particular, neural networks and evolutionary algorithms) is stressed, while various empirical model results are presented. The book concludes with an agenda for further research.
