2012 volume 44(5) pages 1101 – 1120
doi:10.1068/a4438

Cite as:
Arentze T, van den Berg P, Timmermans H, 2012, "Modeling social networks in geographic space: approach and empirical application" Environment and Planning A 44(5) 1101 – 1120
Download citation data in RIS format

Modeling social networks in geographic space: approach and empirical application

Theo Arentze, Pauline van den Berg, Harry Timmermans

Abstract. Abstract. Social activities are responsible for a large proportion of travel demands of individuals. Modeling of the social network of a studied population offers a basis to predict social travel in a more comprehensive way than currently is possible. In this paper we develop a method to generate a whole social network for a given population focusing on friendship relationships. The core of the method is a friendship-formation model that predicts for any two given persons from a population the probability that a friendship relationship exists between the persons. The model takes into account the degree of similarity in attributes, geographic distance between the persons as well as threshold values representing the persons’ opportunities and base preferences for engagement in a friendship relationship. We show how the model can be estimated on the basis of observed personal social networks from a sample of individuals. We estimate and test the model using data collected in a recent survey in Eindhoven, The Netherlands. The results indicate that the model is able to generate networks that display the same structural properties as we find in the sample data. A synthetic network generated in this way can be used to microsimulate social interactions in a population in geographic space
Keywords: social network moeling, friendship formation, travel demand, microsimulation, discrete choice modeling

Restricted material:

PDF Full-text PDF size: 987 Kb

Your computer (IP address: 23.22.76.170) has not been recognised as being on a network authorised to view the full text or references of this article. If you are a member of a university library that has a subscription to the journal, please contact your serials librarian (subscriptions information).