Geospatial data available to researchers has increased tremendously over the last several decades, opening up opportunities to define residential location in multiple ways. is has led to a myriad of variables to define "location" in residential location choice models. In this paper, we propose a common classification for location variables and categorize findings from a wide range of studies. We find similar preferences but different measurement methods and market segments for locations across different study regions. Recent studies consider the residential unit as choice alternative, making it possible to include a detailed description of the built environment. However, these studies are still limited in number and the inclusion of socioeconomic environment is more common. Transport land-use models can benefit from the inclusion of points of interest, such as schools, network distances, and the distance to previous locations. For the results of location choice models to be transferable to different disciplines, and avoid multi-collinearity, it is necessary to present different model specifications, including variables of interest in different disciplines.

Abstract:Various studies in the field of urban planning and design have given recommendations for "good urban forms, " suggesting that specific spatial characteristics inform the quality of an urban landscape and the way people perceive and behave in them. When modeling spatial behavior in the form of location choice models or hedonic prices, we should reflect these spatial characteristics through the integration of quantitative attributes such as model variables, which is currently only done in a very limited way. The increasing availability of disaggregated geodata enlarges the options to characterize urban morphology in the form of such attributes. The question for the researcher is which attributes are most useful to reflect characteristics of urban morphology and how can they be processed from the given data. In this paper, we want to address this issue and give an overview of quantitative descriptions of urban morphology. We base our work on a data model that is simple enough to allow for reproducibility in any study area. These attributes are classified in multiple scales to reflect different perceptions of urban morphology. In a case study on the canton of Zurich, we furthermore prove how these characteristics allow for the definition of urban typologies at different scales.

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This paper was prepared for presentation at the 8th Abu Dhabi International Petroleum Exhibition and Conference held in Abu Dhabi, U.A.E., 11-14 October 1998.

With the development of user friendly software, using procedural shape grammars has become productive for urban planning projects. Little about the experience of their use by architects and urban planning agencies has been reported yet. This paper will thus discuss the experience gained with the use of shape grammars in the projects of KCAP. We will show how the different scales of urban planning and urban design can be handled and how design concepts can be integrated into the procedural "pipeline" using the software "CityEngine". We will also present an approach of "typological testing" that allows to test various design concepts for their possible developments. This work is the base for current research at ETH, integrating geometric aspects into behavioural simulation processes of urban simulation.