Flow State
Pedestrian archetypes and movement mapping in public thresholds
The Challenge
Understanding pedestrian archetypes in high-traffic public spaces, and why generic flow models break down once real human variability enters the picture.
The Research
Ethnographic observation across multiple public thresholds, paired with movement tracking and behavioral archetype mapping at varying times and crowd densities.
What We Found
Distinct movement patterns tied tightly to time, purpose, and crowd density. The same hallway behaves like four different spaces over the course of a day.
The Response
A library of visual flow tools and spatial design recommendations built around the archetypes, usable as input to architectural and operational decisions.
Outcome
A replicable behavioral mapping methodology for public space design, transferable across transit, civic, and commercial environments.