[extropy-chat] System dynamics (Urban dynamics)

[Keith Henson]

"The model was, and is, very controversial, because it illustrates why many 
well-known urban policies are either ineffective or make urban problems 
worse. Further, the model shows that counter-intuitive policies -- i.e., 
policies that appear at first glance to be incorrect, often yield 
startlingly effective results. As an example, in the Urban Dynamics model, 
a policy of building low income housing creates a poverty trap that helps 
to stagnate a city, while a policy of tearing down low income housing 
creates jobs and a rising standard of living for all of the city's 
inhabitants."

http://www.systemdynamics.org/DL-IntroSysDyn/origin.htm

I might add that system dynamics has a lot of ad hoc assumptions in the 
models.  Most of them are reasonable ones, such as economics, birth rated 
integrating to population levels and the like.

But now that Anders got me to thinking about this, system dynamics lacks a 
foundation to the level of biology.

Another application for evolutionary psychology!

Keith