Computer Model of Urban Violence

(ETH Zurich, July 11, 2013)

Jerusalem is characterized by a continued level of territorial conflict. Rarely does a day go by without media reports of violent clashes. Ethnic, religious and ideological tensions determine the social life of the city, and efforts to find a political solution to the city’s future status have thus far failed. A team of researchers from ETH Zurich, the Graduate Institute for International and Development Studies in Geneva and the Hebrew University of Jerusalem have developed an evidence-based computer model to better understand the sources and patterns of violence in urban areas, employing Jerusalem as a demonstration case. The model explores alternative scenarios for the future of Jerusalem, in particular, their implications for the spatial distribution of violence in the city.