UrbanSim is a software-based simulation model for integrated planning and analysis of urban development, incorporating the interactions between land use, transportation, and public policy. It is intended for use by Metropolitan Planning Organizations and others needing to interface existing travel models with new land use forecasting and analysis capabilities. UrbanSim is the centerpiece of the research activities of the Center for Urban Simulation and Policy Analysis, located at the Point 5 Laboratory, on the Ave a few blocks from the University of Washington campus. The UrbanSim software, including full source code, is available for download via this website. It is licensed under the GNU General Public License, which means it is free, open source, and any derived works are also covered under the license. The intent of this licensing approach is to avoid proprietary obstacles and costs, and to facilitate collaboration between researchers and practitioners in improving land use and transportation planning and policy.
This web site is the official site for access to UrbanSim software and documentation, and is hosted by the Center for Urban Simulation and Policy Analysis at the University of Washington as part of the Urban Simulation Project. Please contact us if you are interested in collaborating on further development of the system. If you have questions regarding UrbanSim or this web site, please contact Paul Waddell at pwaddell (at) u.washington.edu.
Opus and UrbanSim 4.2: The UrbanSim team has completed a re-design of UrbanSim and the development of a new platform for it: the Open Platform for Urban Simulation (Opus). Opus and UrbanSim 4.2 are available via our download page. The platform is implemented in Python, and includes a new Graphical User Interface in version 4.2. Thanks to all the team members, visitors, students, sponsors and users who contributed to this milestone release. More information on the release can be found on our News page and in the release notes.
Trac: Our trac site includes a wiki, user contributions, bug reports, feature requests, and project milestones.