Ambulatory Velocity in Crowded and Uncrowded Conditions

Abstract

The time individuals spent walking a standard distance on a sidewalk was unobtrusively observed under 2 conditions. In a crowded condition the distribution of walking speeds ( n = 20) was skewed towards fast speeds. This was interpreted as being due to physical constraints against walking slower than the pace of the crowd and freedom to move faster. In an uncrowded condition the distribution of walking speeds ( n = 20) was skewed towards slow speeds. This was interpreted as being due to norms which limit walking speed and the lack of normative or physical constraints against moving slower than the “normal” speed. The findings were generalized to other settings where user density and environment capacity interact to determine the pace at which people move through behavior sequences.