A Review of Impact Analysis Methods

Abstract

In the past, various methods and models have been designed in order to analyze the allocative efficiency of (urban, regional or transportation) policies, their equity consequences and their impacts on a broader set of socio-economic and environmental development objectives (e.g., energy use, environmental quality). Some good illustrations of spatial impact analyses can be found in Moore and Rhodes (1973, 1976). Clearly, the impacts of policies can be measured by means of a multiplicity of indicators, such as employment, income, investments, amenities, and so forth. In general, policy objectives (and hence the achievement of these objectives) have to be represented by a multidimensional profile, so that in principle the appraisal of policies has to be based on multiple indicators (see Nijkamp, 1979).