The CURBA model was developed as a tool to help urban planners to evaluate the possible effects of alternative urban growth patterns and policies on biodiversity and natural habitat quality. CURBA can help direct urban growth while promoting environmental and ecological quality.
The CURBA model consists of two major components, an Urban Growth Model and a Policy Simulation and Evaluation Model. The Urban Growth Model assists the user in calibrating equations that describe past urbanization patterns and applying the equations to project future development patterns. The Policy Simulation and Evaluation Model projects how alternative development policies will affect future urbanization patterns and the associated impacts on habitat integrity. For example, CURBA can help users investigate the effects of urban growth on vegetation land cover by type, habitat for various species (e.g., different mammals, reptiles, and birds), changes in the level of fragmentation, etc. The CURBA model is used in conjunction with ArcView and various Avenue scripts.
General Info
Developers:
John Landis, Michael Reilly, Pablo Monzon, and Chris Cogan.
Website:
www.dcrp.ced.berkeley.edu
Email:
landis@uclink.berkeley.edu
Strengths:
• Easy to access and use: Once calibrated, CURBA is run entirely in ArcView and can be used on a desktop computer. Base data are entirely in the public domain. It is also fast and flexible.
• Reveals trends and patterns: CURBA allows stakeholders to better understand the drivers of recent urbanization trends and patterns.
• Projective: CURBA allows users to project future urban growth patterns, the sensitivity of urban growth to alternative regulatory and environmental policies, and the effects of projected growth on habitat integrity and quality.
Resources
User Input Requirements:
Inputs will depend on the goals and objectives of the user. Typically, the more detailed inputs the user can provide, the more in-depth analyses can be performed. The following user input was used for the pilot simulations:
• Land use types from the California Farmland Mapping and Monitoring Project (FMMP) database (ArcView coverages). [Note: Certain data may require reformatting to accommodate the GIS.]
• First and second generation GAP Analysis data, including ecoregions, vegetation classification zones, and vertebrate species habitat.
• Slope and elevation data from the USGS Digital Elevation Model.
• Locations of roads, hydrographic line features, and major water bodies (Census Bureau TIGER files).
• Jurisdictional boundaries (Census Bureau TIGER files).
• Wetlands and vernal pools from the National Wetlands Inventory. Various socioeconomic data (e.g., population and employment levels). FEMA Q3 Floodzones.
Equipment Needs:
CURBA requires a 300 MHz or higher PC with 32 MB of RAM, 300 MB of hard drive space, color monitor, Windows operating system, SAS or SPSS statistical analysis software, and the ERSI ArcView Geographic Information System.
Limitations:
• Future projected based on past: CURBA's results are reliant on how well the Urban Growth Model equations explain historical growth patterns and the extent that the factors that drove these patterns direct future development.
• All urban growth is equal: CURBA treats all urban developments the same and does not allow for the possibility of redevelopment. Also, CURBA assumes that all forms and patterns of urban growth represent the same level of habitat decline.
Staff Requirements:
Installation and calibration of the model requires experience in ArcView and land-use modeling expertise. Use of the model requires no land-use expertise, but does require familiarity with ArcView, SAS, or SPSS.
Software Cost:
Contact the model developer.
Preview:
Potential users must contact the developer.
