Should I Turn or Should I Go? Simulation of Pedestrian Behaviour in an Urban Environment

Abstract

The paper develops an agent-based model of pedestrian movements in order to test common daily scenarios of walking activity in an urban environment. Geographic information systems and web map services are used to create a realistic digital replica of the selected residential area. In the model, the agents try to collect the patches with the highest values to find the optimal route to the destination. During their travel agents have to avoid physical obstacles and adjust their walking behaviour relative to the otherpedestrians. Three experimental scenarios are developed and investigated with specific criteria. In these scenarios, collective behaviour has been observed whenever the density of pedestrians rises. I n turn, the necessity of passing other pedestrians induced creativity in finding a route and decreased the collective behaviour. The study has shown that while the majority of agents do not choose the shortest route, they often move close to it.