Crowd flow

[edit] What is crowd flow?

Crowd flow describes how crowds form, and the speed or direction they move around a space. A crowd might be considered as anything above a density of one person per square metre.

As crowd density increases, it is likely that the speed of the crowd flow decreases, crowd dynamics studies the science of different aspects of crowd flow.

[edit] Crowd safety

As densities increase so can the severity of impacts that result from the overcrowding, such as increased stress to minor or serious injury. This field of study and concerns for crowd safety can be an important element in the design of venues, transport interchanges, event spaces, sports arenas or anywhere that large crowds are likely to enter, exit gather or move around.

Crowd safety is concerned with ingress, circulation, and egress from a place, examining the routes followed, potential hazards and methods to maintain safety. Planning for crowd safety examines site design, management approaches and information systems, some key points are listed below:

[edit] Design

• Different uses of space (site areas) static, moving and holding areas.
• Capacity ingress/egress flow rates for normal use and emergency use.
• Mapping the locations for ingress, circulation, and egress during normal and emergency situations.

[edit] Management

• Process, procedures and communication systems.
• Chain of command in normal and emergency situations.
• RED FLAGGING emergency situations and relaying information to safety officers/police.

[edit] Information

• Signage, maps.
• Social media, news reports.
• Site communication systems.
• Normal and emergency information.

[edit] Human behaviour

The choice of route by individuals can often be reduced to two simple rules:

1. Individuals will take the shortest available route to get from source to destination. Where the ‘shortest’ is defined by shortest time (which may not be the shortest distance) to arrive at the planned destination. See also: Desire line.
2. People like to exit using the same route they used to enter.

[edit] RAMP analysis

Routes (R) - Area (A)- Movement - (M) Profile - (P)

• Routes: direction and distribution, modal split and factors that may impact routes.
• Areas: static and moving spaces.
• Movement: The arrival and departure profile, coupling routes and areas to time.
• Profile: The crowd composition, type, demographic, history, and communication elements.

[edit] Dynamic risk

There are three components to a dynamic risk.

• Location: Risk may be focused on a specific location (front of stage) and may not manifest until the critical density/flow is reached.
• Duration: Risk may exist for a short time (entry and exit systems) or long time.
• Severity: Risk may have different levels of severity a single risk value is not sufficient to describe the risk.
• All the above can be influenced by external influences such as the weather.

[edit] Agent based modelling

Agent-based models are stochastic or probability-based computer simulations built-up from individual or autonomous agents which are assigned certain attributes, patterns or commands.

These types of models are used to study the interactions between people, things, places, and time in particular crowds and people flow. In the case of buildings they are often used to model movement patterns of occupants for example in fire situations or in the management of lifts and escalators. In cities that may be used to model traffic patterns.

See also: People flow.

[edit] Related articles on Designing Buildings

• 15 minute city.
• Agent based modelling ABM.
• Asset information model AIM.
• Asset information model.
• Cycling and walking plan.
• Designing for pedestrians.
• Model-based design.
• Models in the construction industry.
• People flow.
• Pedestrian desire-line
• Pedestrian precincts
• Pedestrian priority street
• Pedestrian shed
• Pedestrian zone
• Pedestrianised.
• Walking distance.
• Pedestrian.
• Urban fabric.
• Virtual construction model.
• Visualisation.

[edit] External links

• Still, G Keith. Introduction to Crowd Science. CRC Press. Kindle Edition.
• https://openlab.citytech.cuny.edu/event-safety/crowd-flow/

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