London GSD conference: Dynamics For Policy Making

July 2 2009,
The House of Lords, London, UK

The programme aims to connect the building of different methodologies of multi-physics modelling, engineering systems, dynamics, economics and organisations modelling. A central issue of the conference will be the integration of these approaches, addressing topics such as Systems for Sustainable Cities, and Systems for Strategic Policies.

The venue for this event was not chosen purely for its grand history and excellent location – the purpose of the GSD project is to encourage networking and discussion between scientists and policy makers. Therefore holding the GSD conference in the second house of the UK parliament placed the scientific agenda firmly in the home of policy making.

In the morning session delegates heard how scientists use models to predict the growth and development of cities, and the probable future impact of increased energy consumption. Prof. Kristian Lindgren, GSD Partner, presented his prototype online model for predicting energy usage over the next one hundred year period. Prof. Mike Kelly, former Chief Scientific Advisor to the Department for Communities, concluded the morning by offering a valuable insight into the processes that inform policy making.

After a lively lunchtime discussion Sir Alan Wilson delivered an authoritative overview on how mathematical models have been used by policy developers and industry, while Prof. Carlo Jaeger, GSD Partner, gave a stimulating talk on the rather disastrous role played by equilibrium modelling in the recent financial meltdown, and how an alternative form of modelling may offer a radical alternative in the process of recovery.

The event was concluded by a lively panel discussion chaired by Lord Julian Hunt, GSD Associate, featuring policy makers, advisors and civil servants from UK parliament, the EC and the OECD. The conference provided an overview of the current practices in modelling, and also offered a forum for discussion in how these models could be best used within policy making. GSD partners and associates will now distill this information into an orientation document to be presented in Brussels in April 2010, which will indicate how this discussion could and should move forward.

Photographs taken by Charlotte Hazeldine

•  Full conference agenda
  
•  Speaker biographies

Abstracts:

•  Alan Wilson: Mathematical and computer models: their contribution to policy development
•  Michael Batty: How Big Can Cities Get?

Presentations:

•  Prof. Steven Bishop: An Introduction to the GSD Project
•  Prof. Kristian Lindgren: Exploring Options for Energy Systems in a Global Climate Perspective – How Can Models be Used?
•  Prof. Mike Batty: How Big Can Cities Get?
•  Prof. Saskia Sassen: Density of Cities
•  Prof. Mike Kelly: Climate Resilience, Energy Independence and Sustainability – The Role of the Existing Built Environment
• A Speech by Lord Julian Hunt following the GSD Conference Dinner 

Organised by Professor Steven Bishop

For more information, please email Elizabeth.Hancock(at)ucl.ac.uk