Webinar Series

On occasion, the National Center for Smart Growth and the University of Maryland Urban Studies and Planning Program jointly organize brownbag lunch seminars on topics of academic and practical importance to planners and other policy makers. Whenever possible, these presentations are broadcast live as webinars, then recorded and posted to this website.  Come back often to learn about upcoming webinars or to watch a recording of one you may have missed.

Previous Webinars

Featured Webinar

Spatial analytics for urban modeling: the case of spatial interaction models

Date: Wednesday, May 26th, 2021 [12:00 PM – 1:00 PM]

Presentation by: Prof. Taylor Oshan, Dept. of Geographical Sciences

Abstract:
There is a recent surge of “new” areas of research focusing on developing and applying quantitative methods to study urban patterns and processes, such as urban analytics, urban informatics, and urban science. Though many of the tools and techniques associated with these emerging themes incorporate spatial data and concepts, there is a long history of spatial analysis methods being developed and applied for urban modeling. In this talk, I highlight the trajectory of one particular class of spatial analysis technique – that of spatial interaction modeling – which focuses on explaining and predicting aggregate movements or flows between a set of locations. This is done by providing a historical background and describing a few major milestones before then shifting focus to discuss some opportunities and challenges for this longstanding framework within the modern data economy. Along the way I incorporate examples from my own work and finish with a few ideas to potentially enhance spatial interaction models of transportation and urban mobility.

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