This tutorial covers the essentials of running an UrbanSim simulation. We do not cover some complications that are not essential to running UrbanSim, like setting up a database server, creating a base year database, and estimating the model parameters. These omitted items are part of the larger process of preparing to use UrbanSim in a new area, and will be covered elsewhere.
For the simulation, we use the 1980 base year data for the Eugene-Springfield, Oregon area. This is provided in a non-database format that we refer to as a ``cache'', since it is a copy of the required data from the associated MySQL database. The base year data includes all the model parameters. The entire process of downloading and installing the system, and getting a simulation running on a local computer should require no more than 20 minutes. Since the model runs quickly on this data, one should be able to compute and visualize indicators from a simulation over 2 years within another 20 minutes.
We have tested this tutorial on Windows with the Enthought Python Edition installation, as well as on Linux and Mac with the appropriate Enthought packages.
This tutorial is the first of what we expect to become a fairly extensive set of tutorials to assist new and more experienced users in taking advantage of the functionality in the UrbanSim model system, using the new Open Platform for Urban Simulation (OPUS).