Land Use Allocation Methods and Models

Summary Achieving the optimized pattern of urban life is the one of the urban planning goals. In this context, one of the main aspects in urban plans is the land use planning that is taking into account more than before, by decision takers and urban planners in recent years. In the land use planning all of the advantages and disadvantages of social, economical, environmental land aspects will be assess. Urban planners should consider the patterns and models of urban land use allocations to prepare the optimizing usage of urban lands. From 1960’s with the development of quantitative methods in urban and regional planning, application of land use allocation models were increased. These models were used by urban planners to manage land uses. Due to the complexity and variety of these models in recent years, many studies and researches in this field of land use modeling were accomplished. In this context, this article attempts to present methods and models which are used in urban land use change and land allocation. Therefore, in order to achieve this goal at first will be introduced briefly and three types of these models as a tool for better understanding of the process land use planning will be explained. These three types are: land use allocation model, Multi-objective optimization model, and land use allocation model in multi central areas. Land use allocation is a dynamic and complex process that connects human and natural systems, and directly impacts on the all of the human activities. The most important model of this type is, Cellular Automata, optimization techniques, rule oriented simulation models and multi – agent models. These models are based on economic principles and spatial interactions. Multi-objective optimization models based on the level of neighborhood unit development density consider the requirement of land use allocation. This model decreases the interference the goals of open space's development, infill development and land use compatibility in neighborhood units and transaction costs. Land use allocation model in multi central areas are the updated structure of the Lawry Putman model that instead of the primary and secondary allocation of employment, presents a different categories which is considered as a special category for transportation modeling. Land use allocation model is integrated with the access to public transportation, so, this model combines the allocation models of land use planning with transportation planning models.