Modeling the resource consumption of Housing in New Orleans using System Dynamics

Abstract

This work uses Systems Dynamics as a methodology to analyze the resource requirements of New Orleans as it recovers from Hurricane Katrina. It examines the behavior of the city as a system of stocks, flows and time delays at a macro-level. The models used to simulate this behavior are compared to historic data. The construction materials, energy and labor required to construct several different types of housing systems are examined and these data are combined with the macro-scale analysis of the city. Several alternative scenarios are proposed based on the interactions of feedback loops identified.