Context and prospects for integrated urban models for metropolitan policy analysis and planning in developing countries

These descriptors hold true for a majority of domains where the objectives and interests of science and policy intersect (including the environment, the economy and society), and are also naturally relevant from the perspective of urban land use and transportation planning. [...] Given the potentially high cost of policy failures in these areas, it is surprising that the wealth of knowledge generated by scientific research in the course of the years, including a better understanding of the interdependencies between the land use and transportation systems in a city, has not been more applied for urban policy analysis and planning (Kanaroglou and Scott, 2002). [...] Finally, in concluding, the challenges of implementing and applying integrated models in the context of the metropolitan areas in the developing world are discussed. [...] In the case of developing countries, Echenique (1986) has strongly argued on the promise of urban models in the planning practice for both the developed and developing world considering that the criticisms leveled against their use have been overcome by present models and by the theoretical and operational improvements that are forthcoming. [...] Examples of modeling systems that incorporate sustainability measures include the System for Planning and Research in Towns and Cities for Urban Sustainability (LT Consultants/Echenique 1999), Planning and Research of Policies for Land Use and Transport for Increasing Urban Sustainability (Lautso et al., 2004) and the Integrated Model of Urban Land Use and Transportation for Environmental Analysis