ABSTRACT
This chapter explores the relationship between dynamic entropy maximising models of spatial interaction and structure and agent-based models (ABM). The chapter explore whether it is possible to define a set of agents, an environment and associated rules in such a way that there is an ABM model that is equivalent to any BLV model. The chapter consider the retail model as an archetypal BLV model and then seek to formulate an equivalent or near-equivalent. The BLV model generally tends towards an equilibrium solution. For the agent-based model, detecting equilibrium is more difficult because whatever structure emerges is not fixed. Pseudo-code is given here for calculating the emergent retail zones that appear in the model. In order to properly test the agent-based model, one chooses to model the metropolitan county of South Yorkshire in the UK. The chapter demonstrates a zone less agent-based model of urban retail in which retail centres emerge due to individual retailers locating near each other.
