Physical Characteristics Influencing Space Usage and Pedestrian Behaviour in Public Space

Case Study: Városháza Square in Dunaújváros

Abstract

Analyzing pedestrian movement in urban spaces contributes to understanding how these spaces function. In this study it is revealed by investigating the key questions: (1) From where do the main pedestrian flows come? (2) How does the pedestrian movement depend on the depth of view and spatial situation?
A visual programming platform and a geographic information system software, namely Grasshopper and QGIS, are used for this analysis which has numerous plug-ins for assessing spatial arrangements. Personal observation helps to understand how to do the analysis correctly and, simultaneously validate the result of the software calculations.
The location of the case study, Dunaújváros, is a major Hungarian city, mainly developed during Socialism. Its historical background explains the transformation related to public spaces’ usage in the city.
As a result of the analysis, the main features and problems of the Városháza square in Dunaújváros are determined, and possible solutions are offered for its improvement. More importantly, the existing methodologies for public space assessments were developed further by including the effects of pedestrian behaviour, which can be used for evaluating any other public space.