Pedestrian modelling: autonomy and communication needs

A better understanding of pedestrian movement can lead to an improved design of public spaces, to the appropriate dimensioning of urban infrastructure (such as airports, stations and commercial centers), and, most importantly, to a design that is more responsive to people and to that very fundamental human activity: walking. Walking is a highly communicative and social activity: we walk with other people and meet strangers, friends and neighbors. The potential for such communication is in itself a measure of the quality of the space. However social integrations among pedestrians have been largely neglected in the analysis and in the planning process. The research aims at modeling pedestrian needs, taking into account a more inclusive spatial behavior which includes both autonomy needs of pedestrian walking alone towards a target and communication needs of people walking in groups towards a target.