ABLOoM: Location behaviour, spatial patterns, and agent-based modelling

This paper presents an Agent-based Location Model (ABLOOM). ABLOOM simulate s the location decisions of two main types of agents, namely households and firms. The model contains multiple interactions that are crucial in unders tanding land use changes, such as interactions of agents with other agents, of agents with their environment and of agents with emerged patterns. In o rder to understand the mechanisms that are at the basis of land use changes and the formation of land use patterns, ABLOOM allows us to study human be haviour at the microlevel in a spatial context. The models, which include e conomic theory, aspects of complexity theory and decision rules, show that it is possible to generate macrolevel land use patterns from microlevel spa tial decision rules.