A post on Ars Technica digs into the complicated world of pedestrian modeling and identifies a culprit in the problems with existing models: indecisive people.
Chris Lee introduces the research of Alessandro Corbetta, from the Technical University of Eindhoven, into the difficulties of creating reliable models for pedestrian behavior.
The problem:
Unfortunately, pedestrian models are not very well tested against data. Most experiments involve paying university students to walk along corridors and through doors under highly artificial conditions. In part, this is because it has been very difficult to obtain data from natural settings, where you need to track individual pedestrians as they walk through some area of interest.
The solution:
Corbetta set [Kinect] cameras up in two locations: the main thoroughfare at Eindhoven train station and a link corridor between one of the university buildings and the nearest cafeteria. From there, he recorded data for a year.
Corbetta's findings after crunching the quarter of a million trajectories he discovered during the experiment revealed some of the behavior that makes pedestrian modeling so difficult. Namely, that some people change their minds en route, and turn around. The article goes into more detail about how Corbetta accounted for their indecision for the ongoing project of building reliable pedestrian models.
FULL STORY: Models of pedestrian flow stumble because people change their minds
Study Measures 150 Miles of Informal Footpaths in Detroit, Explores Their Larger Importance
A new study by researchers at Illinois State University and the University of Michigan measured the informal footpaths—also known as "desire lines"—of Detroit.
A 'Curious' New Report on Pedestrian Behavior in Public Spaces
The Seattle Department of Transportation recently released its first-ever public life study.
No Safe Options Mean Pedestrians Engage in Risky Behavior
Pedestrians are often blamed first for accidents, but they have few choices when the infrastructure is lacking, a new study shows.
Florida Considers Legalizing ADUs
Current state law allows — but doesn’t require — cities to permit accessory dwelling units in single-family residential neighborhoods.
HUD Announces Plan to Build Housing on Public Lands
The agency will identify federally owned parcels appropriate for housing development and streamline the regulatory process to lease or transfer land to housing authorities and nonprofit developers.
Conservatives’ Decongestion Pricing Flip-Flop
When it comes to solving traffic problems, the current federal administration is on track for failure, waste, and hypocrisy.
Research Shows More Roads = More Driving
A national study shows, once again, that increasing road supply induces additional vehicle travel, particularly over the long run.
Can Progressive Planners Appeal to Conservative Principles?
Trump’s approach to policies like NYC’s congestion pricing isn’t just irrational and wasteful — it defies the tenets of conservatism. But there are ways to reframe the issues.
Oak Park Plans Earth Month Events
Join Oak Park, Illinois, for a series of Earth Month events highlighting the importance of community engagement and education, integrating sustainability into local plans, and planning for the most vulnerable, such as birds, bees and butterflies.
Urban Design for Planners 1: Software Tools
This six-course series explores essential urban design concepts using open source software and equips planners with the tools they need to participate fully in the urban design process.
Planning for Universal Design
Learn the tools for implementing Universal Design in planning regulations.
Florida Atlantic University
City of Grandview
Harvard GSD Executive Education
UCLA Lewis Center for Regional Policy Studies
City of Piedmont, CA
NYU Wagner Graduate School of Public Service
City of Cambridge, Maryland