UrbanSim Training Courses

The developers of UrbanSim and OPUS have begun organizing a series of training sessions to make it easier for users to ramp up their skills and productivity in using the system.

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Introduction to UrbanSim and OPUS

This one-day course provides an overview of the design and implementation of the Open Platform for Urban Simulation, and UrbanSim. It provides a high-level overview of the capabilities of the system, the Graphical User Interface, and relatively non-technical introductions into the procedures to begin a new project, load data from the local area, adapt the model specifications from an existing project, and estimate the model parameters. It covers running a simulation and generating and visualizing indicators from it. It also describes the capacities to interface UrbanSim to existing travel model systems. The cost for the training session is $500.

Upcoming sessions:

TBA

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Developing an UrbanSim Database

So you want to try applying UrbanSim to your region? You'll spend a lot of your time and effort developing a database for the application. This course provides a roadmap and tips on the process, including the selection of a model structure and its data schema, and how to address data inconsistencies and gaps. Examples from actual practice will be used to illustrate issues and approaches. The cost for the training session is $500.

Prerequisites: None

Upcoming sessions:

TBA

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Introduction to the OPUS Expression Language

This one-day course provides an in-depth treatment of Tekoa, the new expression language developed to make it easy to create new variables and indicators in OPUS. The expression language builds on and extends the Python programming language, and the Numpy mathematical library, and provides a concise and accessible means of using and extending UrbanSim and OPUS to create model specifications, and to create indicators for assessing model results. The cost for this session is $500. Pre-requisites: Introduction to UrbanSim and OPUS

Upcoming sessions:

TBA

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Creating, Specifying and Estimating Models

OPUS has a modular capacity to create new models from general classes of existing models supported by OPUS, including choice models and regression models. This one-day session covers in-depth the creation of new models from templates, understanding the configuration of the models, specifying the models, and estimating their parameters. The cost for this session is $500.

Pre-requisites: The OPUS Expression Language

Upcoming Sessions:

TBA

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Introduction to Programming for OPUS: Python and Numpy

For those who need or want to roll up their sleeves and do some coding, this course provides a gentle introduction to the Python programming language, in which OPUS and UrbanSim are implemented, and the Numpy mathematical library that is used heavily in UrbanSim to provide efficient computations. The cost for this session is $500.

Prerequisites: None, other than a willingness to learn to program.

Upcoming Sessions:

TBA

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The Open Platform for Urban Simulation: Architecture and Advanced Programming

The intent of this course is to provide a deep look 'under the hood' of the Open Platform for Urban Simulation, to gain an understanding of how the system architecture is designed and implemented, and how to extend or or use its components to build novel components, models and other extensions. The cost for this session is $500.

Prerequisites: Some experience with software development (preferably in Python, but other languages provide sufficient background).

Upcoming Sessions:

TBA

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-- PaulWaddell - 19 Jul 2009