Full Spectrum Modeling: From Simplicity to Elaboration and Realism in Urban Pattern Formation

There is a dichotomy between researchers who utilize elaborated and realistic agent-basedmodels and those who prefer simple models. Researchers who use realistic agent-based models
(ABMs) argue that their realism makes them more useful, while those who utilize simple models
claim that they are more general and provide more global knowledge. We believe that it is better
to embrace both of these modeling approaches at the same time. Creating richly, detailed,
empirically validated models to explore complex systems at a high level, and at the same time
extracting general principles to create simplified models that help explore the most important
general principles of the phenomena. We call this approach full spectrum modeling and we
examine its use through a particular project concerned with understanding urban pattern
formation.