Next: Contents Contents
| Title of dissertation: | ARCOLOGY OPTIMIZATION AND |
| SIMULATION FRAMEWORK | |
| Rowin Andruscavage | |
| Master of Science, 2007 | |
| Directed by: | Associate Professor Mark Austin |
| Department of Civil/Environmental Engineering | |
| and Institute for Systems Research |
Arcology design combines urban planning and architecture with the mechanics of ecology, presenting a tangled mixture of functions, ideals, and goals well suited for systems engineering analysis. The physical design of an arcology would encompass the creation of a ``hyperstructure'' that delivers utility and transportation infrastructure in a highly integrated compact package that parcels out plots for residential, commercial, industrial, and municipal uses. This thesis defines and describes a prototype simulation framework that some day might be used to execute and evaluate intelligent demand-responsive multimodal mass transit schemes that would serve as an urban circulatory system, contributing to the effectiveness of an urban complex. Given a set of connected nodes serviced by different fleets of vehicles, a global optimizer attempts to generate a coordinated fleet schedule that meets various demand patterns. Factorial design of experiments and parametric analysis on the resulting simulated performance data of several simplified 1D and 2D scenarios help identify significant system design variables, including the number and size of the vehicle fleet, station configuration, transit network topology, as well as the initial distribution of travel demand between station nodes. The open-ended formulation of this framework can allow analysis of different optimal modes of operation depending upon the properties of the scenario. This tool explores the effectiveness of transit-oriented design paradigms supporting arcologies and other urban forms.
Advisory Committee:
Associate Professor Mark Austin, Chair/Advisor
Professor John Baras
Professor Hani Mahmassani