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Title of dissertation:    & {\large  ARCHOLOGY OPTIMIZATION AND}\\
                          & {\large  SIMULATION FRAMEWORK}\\
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&                          {\large  Rowin Andruscavage }\\ 
&			   {\large  Master of Science, 2007} \\
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Directed by: & {\large  Associate Professor Mark Austin} \\
             & {\large  Department of Civil/Environmental Engineering} \\
             & {\large  and Institute for Systems Research} \\
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An arcology combines urban planning and architecture with the mechanics
of ecology, presenting a messy mixture of ideals and goals well suited
for systems engineering analysis. The physical aspect of an arcology
would entail the design and creation of a hyperstructure integrating
utilities and transportation infrastructure into a highly 3-dimensional
package, parceling out plots for residential, commercial, industrial,
and municipal uses. This thesis defines and describes a prototype
simulation framework that might one day be used to execute and evaluate
demand-responsive multimodal mass transit schemes that would contribute
to the effectiveness of an urban complex's design. Given a set of
connected nodes serviced by different fleets of vehicles, an global
optimizer attempts to generate a coordinated fleet schedule that meets
several demand patterns. Parametric analysis on the resulting simulated
performance data sets help identify significant design variables,
such as the size and configuration of the transit vehicle fleet, the
topology of the network they traverse, and the distribution of travel
demand between the station nodes. The open-ended formulation of the
MIP optimization can exhibit different modes of operation depending
upon the properties of the scenario, indicating transit design strategies
that should be employed for maximum effectiveness.
