Urban Spatial Interaction

Abstract

This paper centres on the development of a geometrical representation of movement and spatial interaction in urban areas, as distinct from the network representation commonly used in modern studies. All quantities are treated as distributions over geographic space, rather than concentrations at nodes of a network. We present a continuous model of spatial interaction and calibrate it for Greater Manchester. The model is a trip distribution model which produces an allocation of trips from any area to all other areas in accordance with a derived trip density function. The inputs to the model are density functions for residences and workplaces of car commuters, and a velocity field. The velocity field defines a measure of the travel time between different locations.