MULTI-AGENT MODEL OF HUMAN VALUES AND LAND-USE CHANGE

摘要

Residential development is a driving force affecting ecosystem and land-use change worldwide. The rate and type of development is influenced by complex interactions among human stakeholders and how stakeholders respond to feedback from the environmental consequences of development decisions. Stakeholder interactions and responses are informed by the values stakeholders hold. A better understanding of the interactions between human values and natural systems can lead to more effective growth management strategies and ecosystem sustainability. This work uses a multi-agent model to investigate the effectiveness of growth management strategies based on open-space preserves. The value systems associated with the agents and the interactions among agents are based on a study of a region within the Dallas-Fort Worth metroplex (Texas, U.S.A.) facing intense residential development. Results indicate that considering landowner values when targeting open space preserves may lead to more effective growth management strategies than solely purchasing land based on opportunity or ecological factors.