Modeling Urban Morphogenesis at a Macro-Scale Based on Cellular Automata: The Case of the Casbah of Algiers

A novel cellular automata model successfully reproduces the complex, irregular urban morphology of Algiers' historic Casbah, offering insights into the decision-making systems behind traditional Islamic city forms. By integrating topographic data and combining artificial neural networks with logistic regression, the model simulates spatial transitions over time, revealing how morphological constraints shape urban evolution. While limited by historical data resolution and lacking micro-scale dynamics, this flexible framework advances understanding of Islamic urbanism and suggests avenues for future multi-scalar, socio-culturally enriched analyses.

Bekhelifi, A. E., Rahal, F., Djedid, A., Benhamouche, M., & Cenci, J. (2025). Modeling Urban Morphogenesis at a Macro-Scale Based on Cellular Automata: The Case of the Casbah of Algiers. The Arab World Geographer, 28(2), 142–160. https://doi.org/10.64903/1480-6800-28.2.142