Simulation of Pedestrian Behaviour As Design Criteria For University Teaching Buildings

Abstract

Pedestrian movement in the built environment is clearly shaped by the nature of a particular environment, with human behaviour shaped by the design of structures. To understand and analyse pedestrian behaviour while moving in open spaces at a very fine scale, simulation modelling is an essential tool. The aim of this paper is to study the impacts of the built environment on pedestrian behaviour and to understand the ways people walk on university campuses. Further, another aim of the study is to show through our simulation model how physical variables affect pedestrian behaviour and thus establish criteria for designing walkable campuses. In a first step, through video recordings, pedestrians were observed walking from the gates of a university campus to teaching buildings. The recorded data was then transformed into numerical values such as speed, delay, and walking type. In a second step, data about campuses were collected, such as walkway length, width and level, and number of pedestrian walkway intersections. Nest, using multiple regression, a mathematical simulation model was designed to test environmental impacts on walking behaviour. In this way, the impacts of the built environment on pedestrian behaviour were revealed.