Configuration

BAUS Configuration

The configuration file structure for Bay Area UrbanSim (BAUS) and a description of each file. Model configurations files are stored in a configs folder in the model repository. They specify model settings such as model estimation coefficients and model assumptions.

bayarea_urbansim/configs

adjusters/

name	description
cost_shifters.yaml	Multipliers to cost, currently specified by county, used to calibrate the model.
development_caps_asserted.yaml	Caps on development, either residential or office, used to calibrate the model. (TODO: remove any base year existing policy caps entangled here).
employment_relocation_rates_overwrites.csv	These overwrite the relocation rates in employment_relocation_rates.csv to calibrate the model, e.g. leave government sector jobs in San Francisco City Hall's TAZ.
residential_vacancy_rate_mods.csv	Region-level overwrites to the default residential vacancy rate, by simulation year.
sqft_per_job_adjusters	Multipliers to the number of sqft used by each job, defined in the model's developer settings, which modify the number of jobs that can occupy a building. This is used to calibrate the model, e.g. reflect CBD job densities or adjust vacancy rates by superdistrict. The inputs file telecommute_sqft_per_job_adjusters.csv uses alternative multipliers for for the forecast years in place of these, if the strategy is enabled. (TODO: Disentangle the k-factors and the policy application in these two files. In the meantime, use both files as is done in the PBA50 No Project).
zoning_adjusters.yaml	Adjusters to zoning used to alter both the input zoning data and the simulation.

accessibility/

name	description
accessibility_settings.yaml	Settings for Pandana, the model's endogenous accessibility calculations.
neighborhood_vars.yaml	Settings for calculating local accessibility variables during the model run.
regional_vars.yaml	Settings for calculating regional accessibility variables during the model run.
price_vars.yaml	Settings for calculating local accessibility variables on price during the model run.

developer/

name	description
developer_settings.yaml	Settings for the model's developer and feasibility models.
cap_rate specifies the capitalization rate for the developer in BAUS, overwriting the urbansim cap rate and pairing with the urbansim profit factor.
parcel_filter describes all parcels which are off-limits in the model
static_parcels a list of parcels which are off-limits for development, since they get added to "nodev" which is included in parcel_filter, and whose agents don't move
building_sqft_per_job settings for the amount of space a job occupies, by buildings type, which determines how many jobs fit in a building

hedonics/

name	description
price_settings.yaml	Settings for the model's price simulation and supplydemand equilibration of price.
nrh.yaml	Non-residential hedonic price model specification.
rrh.yaml	Residential rent hedonic price model specification.
rsh.yaml	Residential sales hedonic price model specification.

location_choice/

name	description
elcm.yaml	Employment location choice model specification, segemented by six employment sectors.
hlcm_owner.yaml	Household location choice model specification segmented by income quartiles. The models are estimated for owner households.
hlcm_owner_lowincome.yaml	This uses the same specification and estimated coefficients as hlcm_owner. The only difference is that it is used to only allow low income households to choose deed-restricted owner units.
hlcm_owner_lowincome_no_unplaced.yaml	This uses the same specification and estimated coefficients as hlcm_owner, but allows owners of all incomes into deed-restricted owner units to cover any gaps in assignment.
hlcm_owner_no_unplaced.yaml	This uses the same specification and estimated coefficients as hlcm_owner, but does another round of placements of owners, this time into non-deed-restricted owner units, to cover any gaps in assignment.
hlcm_renter.yaml	Household location choice model specification segmented by income quartiles. The models are estimated for rental households.
hlcm_renter_lowincome.yaml	This uses the same specification and estimated coefficients as hlcm_renter. The only difference is that it is used to only allow low income households to choose deed-restricted rental units.
hlcm_renter_lowincome_no_unplaced.yaml	This uses the same specification and estimated coefficients as hlcm_renter, but allows renters of all incomes into deed-restricted rental units to cover any gaps in assignment.
hlcm_renter_no_unplaced.yaml	This uses the same specification and estimated coefficients as hlcm_renter, but does another round of placement of renters, this time into non-deed-restricted rental units, to cover any gaps in assignment.

transition_relocation/

name	description
employment_relocation_rates.csv	A file with the probability of a job relocating during a time step in the forecast, by TAZ and by employment sector. Pairs with employment_relocation_rates.csv which overwrites the model probabilities with calibration factors.
household_relocation_rates.csv	A file with the probability of a household relocating during a time step in the forecast, by TAZ, income, and tenure. Pairs with renter_protections_relocation_rates_overwrites.csv which overwrites model probabilities with different relocation rates when the renter protections strategy is enabled.
transition_relocation_settings.yaml	Settings for the transition and relocation models.

mapping.yaml

Mapping used in the model to relate variables to one another.

paths.yaml

Variables that store file names for use in the model code.