By using a grid where each cell is a discrete entity, a land use system can be represented. Here the representation is binary as either urban or non-urban land use on a 20×20 grid. The top part shows a process of monocentric urban growth; a pattern that has been investigated since the Burgess concentric urban land use model. Urban expansion rests on the principle of conversion of non-urban adjacent cells into urban cells. If a portion of the territory is protected land use (e.g. a park or a natural reserve), then the growth process can be altered so that no protected cell can be converted to urban land use. The bottom part shows the linear influence of road infrastructure on growth. In this case, some road segments have a greater capacity, which incites additional growth.