The GLA has identified a "strategic gap in its knowledge of how London works" Credit: PA

The Greater London Authority (GLA) is seeking input from computer-simulation experts to help it better understand how the city operates “as a system of interconnected systems”. Such understanding will then be used to help guide investment and policy decisions, according to a prior information notice published by Transport for London.

The notice for the Greater London Simulator project said: “The GLA has identified a strategic gap in its knowledge and understanding of how London works, namely as a system of interconnected systems. It has determined, by consulting independent experts of various methodologies and through its own research and assessment, that system dynamics can improve its understanding of London in this high-level, strategic way, and assist with investment appraisal and evaluation, and strategy and policy development.”

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The notice goes on to explain that the GLA already has licensed usage rights for a software simulation of the Greater London area. It is now “seeking the assistance of qualified experts to enhance, update, and employ the simulator and to develop related software tools and internal capabilities”.

The firm which developed the simulator – Swiss consultancy Greenwood Strategic Advisors – will be invited to respond to the notice, TfL said. Interested suppliers can contact TfL for more information, after which, if they wish to be considered, they must respond within 10 days demonstrating that they are capable of fulfilling the brief in full.

The notice added: “The aim of developing further this extant model is to complement – not replace – the GLA's other existing models, and those it has access to via TfL, including LonLUTI, a land use, economic and transport model which is used primarily for assessing potential transport investments.”