A simulation of municipal zoning decisions

This paper reports a study which developed and empirically tested a simulation model of the process by which zoning ordinances are altered to adapt to the changing needs and conditions of a city. The perceived decision rules of the participants are reported in the form of flow charts which utilize language similar to that used by the participants. The body of the paper indicates methods which were used to translate these judgmental rules into a form suitable for a computer. The model was tested by allowing the computer to decide the one hundred twenty-five proposed changes in the zoning map of the City of Pittsburgh during the period 1963 to 1965 inclusive. The results were good in the sense that the computer model decided most of the cases in the same way as did the human participants. Additional tests and managerial implications are also discussed.