Using Film to Analyze Pedestrian Behavior

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Abstract
Previous research on individual, interpersonal, and collective units of pedestrian behavior is briefly summarized and critically evaluated. An alternative theoretical framework and methodological procedure are presented. The imposition of cartesian coordinates on a film record, corrected for “foreshortened perspective,” permits the accurate location, and systematic measurement of distances between, directions, and velocities of individual pedestrian movement. An index of coordinated movement permits the identification and comparison of the extent of collective locomotion within pedestrian streams and other aggregations of persons in public places. The framework and procedures are illustrated with the analysis of a film record of a short sequence of pedestrian behavior. Implications are discussed for several theoretical and applied problems.