The Evaluation of Urban Change: Equilibrium and Adaptive Approaches

The paper is concerned with the problem of providing a basis for the evaluation of major changes in urban infrastructure. Recent developments in general equilibrium modelling of urban systems have tackled these interdependencies between sectors which cause problems in the use of traditional partial equilibrium approaches. However, while such models offer valuable insights into the working and dynamic development of urban systems their use in assessing the overall effects of particular projects seems limited. The argument advanced is that these questions can better be answered by moving out of the equilibrium framework and concentrating on the adapative mechanisms linking decisions in the various urban sectors. The framework of a model is outlined and discussed in terms of the current debate on Inner City Areas.