CONTEXT AND PROSPECTS FOR INTEGRATED URBAN MODELS FOR METROPOLITAN POLICY ANALYSIS AND PLANNING IN DEVELOPING COUNTRIES: THE CASE OF METRO MANILA

Metropolitan areas in the developing world face a pressing need for policy tools to evaluate urban development strategies. This need, placed within the context of fiscal restraint, sustainable development, and public administrative regimes, has kindled an interest in the use of “integrated urban models” (IUM) that explicitly consider urban transportation and land use interactions. While the development and use of these models has helped science to better understand urban processes, they can only be useful to society as a whole if used to inform policy making and analysis. The objective of this paper is to put into perspective the necessary conditions for the formulation of an IUM useful for policy and planning in developing countries taking the case of Metro Manila. The paper frames the steps needed for development and application of a model of this type in the area.