Speeding up land use models

Should we always start modelling from scratch in order to have fit-for-purpose models, no ontologies and a clear understanding of our model limitations? Or is it better to have large models that are developed and maintained by a larger group and reused over a long period of time, improving resource use, trust and knowledge?
With this question in mind, the POLISES group started a journal club at the UFZ two years ago. After many discussions on "tanker" models versus single use models, we initiated a survey in the community asking for their experiences and opinions on model reuse.

To discuss the hurdles such as maintenance, development time and documentation in more detail, we invited colleagues from research institutions across Europe and the USA to a workshop. Under the title "Speeding up the development of useful agent-based land use models - how can we as a community support it?" we had some stimulating discussions on topics such as standardisation of model components, the use of AI in land use modelling, and how to advance model validation and inter-comparison.

As a result of the workshop, we have now formed several working groups that will meet regularly on the subtopics and plan joint papers, as well as more closely integrating our teaching and training activities and making information on model development and use more easily accessible. In the coming months we also plan to organise some online webinars on other topics related to land use modelling.