Abstract
In the field of cartography, recent years are believed to have brought revolutions as profound as any in the past. Especially in the field of mobile navigation tools, digital maps, mobile devices with increasingly large displays, and ubiquitously accessible,
location-based information continuously advance and push the development of efficient wayfinding services. Furthermore, recent advances in collecting and including volunteered, user-generated content in web services rapidly increase the amount of
potentially available geographical information. This offers new opportunities for emerging mobile pedestrian navigation services: in contrast to common navigation tools
used for vehicles, navigation services for pedestrians must fulfil more complex requirements in order to be accepted. For pedestrians, the shortest path does not always represent the optimal route for an individual´s purposes. Studies have revealed that people often forgo to take the shortest path and prefer the "most beautiful", "most
convenient", or "safest path". People exploring a new environment on foot would therefore especially benefit from systems providing information concerning route qualities, interesting facilities in the vicinity, and other useful location-related suggestions.
The vast and increasing amount of potentially useful information, however, also involves some negative effects. Overabundance of information may easily hinder effective information extraction. Hence successful wayfinding and information services have to take all the above factors into account in order to efficiently support pedestrian wayfinding and to avoid potential information overload. However, the goal of developing efficient, customised navigation services can only be achieved by comprehensively investigating human spatio-temporal behaviour and related influence factors.
As part of the scientific project UCPNavi we investigate group-specific spatio-temporal behaviour in order to set the basis for developing customised mobile information services. The study aims at the development of a typology of pedestrian mobility styles based on the observation and analysis of pedestrian walking patterns, route-choice determinants and additional relevant influence factors (e.g. lifestyle-related attributes such as general habits, attitudes, and preferences). In order to thoroughly comprehend pedestrian spatio-temporal behaviour, an eclectic approach to investigate walking
behaviour is necessary. Therefore, we use an "across-method" triangulation approach combining various complementary empirical methods of data collection and analysis to explore the subject from different perspectives. Within this two-stage approach, we
have collected more than 100 datasets by shadowing and 130 questionnaires during the first empirical phase, and more than 100 trajectories using GPS or Bluetooth and more than 250 interview datasets during the second phase of the study. In this contribution we present results of motion and interview data analysis based on
data collected in a shopping mall and a shopping street. We also introduce an initial pedestrian typology based on qualitative-interpretative and quantitative-statistical data. Types are described according to characteristic attributes identified by route choice behaviour, walking patterns and interest foci. The relevant factors include velocities, stopping behaviour, categories of visited facilities, and individual preferences (general interests, preferences concerning qualities of routes or environments, orientation strategies, etc.). Furthermore, we highlight differences in the outcomes resulting from data collected by different empirical methods and in different investigation areas (indoor and outdoor).
The resulting typology of lifestyle-based pedestrian mobility styles and the identified characteristic attributes can serve as a basis to create pedestrian interest profiles in ubiquitous environments and to customise navigational and environmental information for mobile applications in order to fulfil individual needs. Moreover, a profound understanding of walking patterns and related influence factors is also beneficial for other research fields. Group-related behaviour patterns are crucial for the development of efficient geoinformation products, for the design of attractive urban environments, and for the determination of specific group-related parameters in agent-based simulation models.
Original language | English |
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Title of host publication | 24th International Cartography Conference ICC 2009 |
Number of pages | 1 |
Publication status | Published - 2009 |
Event | 24th International Cartography Conference ICC 2009 - Duration: 15 Nov 2009 → 21 Nov 2009 |
Conference
Conference | 24th International Cartography Conference ICC 2009 |
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Period | 15/11/09 → 21/11/09 |
Research Field
- Former Research Field - Mobility Systems