Introduction: Overcoming Limitations of Urban Systems Models and of Data Availability

Understanding and influencing complex urban systems may be facilitated by using urban models. However, results of these models may be seriously compromised by the limitations of data quality and quantity, as well as by the reduction of data and models to selected spatial and temporal scales. Limited availability of data may result in choosing a model that is not well-suited for the given purpose, i.e., for answering the questions posed by decision-makers. More specifically, data may not be available in the required spatial or temporal resolution. It may be outdated, and/or models may not be available to represent the variety of fast and slow dynamics while they are concurrently occurring and interfering in a complex urban system. We suggest that as the quantity and (potentially) the quality of data may continue to increase, there may be new and improved approaches to urban modeling that will better serve urban decision-makers. Clues about ways to improve data input and to improve modeling will be given and further explained in the contributions presented in the volume; this article serves as an introduction to this volume.