Where we walk says a lot about us and the environment we’re in. Our destinations, routes, travel times and when we choose to walk can accurately reflect how we interact with our surroundings, while also indicating our preferences and habits in a granular, human-centric way.
Because it provides a direct window into human behaviour, understanding pedestrian activity is highly valuable information that can effectively guide the planning and decision-making processes of urban planners, government agencies, business owners, property developers and more. Let’s dive into the real benefits of planning with foot traffic data by investigating some major applications of this geospatial dataset in the real world.
1. Optimising urban infrastructure
Foot traffic analysis provides urban planners with detailed insights into pedestrian movement patterns. By analysing this data, planners can measure the vitality of a location, identify areas with high pedestrian activity and design infrastructure that caters to these needs and makes places more permeable for pedestrians. This can include a range of interventions such as widening paths, adding more pedestrian crossings, creating more tree canopy cover, developing pedestrian-only zones, or by taking a placemaking approach to make underperforming locations appear more welcoming and walkable.
Additionally, understanding the number of people walking, peak times and popular routes in planning for future growth and helping to ensure that infrastructure can handle increased foot traffic – leading to more walkable, accessible, and vibrant urban spaces.
2. Boosting retail success
For businesses in retail, Quick Service Restaurants (QSR) and beyond, foot traffic data is a powerful tool for driving business success. By analysing pedestrian travel patterns and volumes, businesses can choose optimal locations for their stores, ensuring they are situated in high-traffic areas that attract more customers.
Foot traffic data also provides insights into consumer behaviour, helping businesses tailor their offerings and marketing strategies to meet the needs of their target audience (such as buying impactful Out-of-Home media advertising placements). This data-driven approach can lead to increased sales, higher customer engagement, and a more successful retail operation.
3. Enhancing public safety
Safety is a top priority for urban planners, and analysing footfall data plays a crucial role in enhancing pedestrian safety. By pinpointing high-risk areas where accidents are more likely to occur, planners can implement targeted safety measures such as improved lighting, better signage and traffic calming devices. Having an intimate understanding of footfall also helps in designing safer crosswalks and intersections, reducing the likelihood of accidents. Furthermore, this data supports public health initiatives by promoting walking and biking, which can reduce the prevalence of lifestyle-related diseases and improve overall community health.
4. Improving event management
Foot traffic analysis can be used to analyse specific periods of time, which is why event organisers can greatly benefit from foot traffic data when planning and managing events. Understanding pedestrian flow helps in designing event layouts that facilitate smooth movement and prevent overcrowding, and it can also be used for planning adequate facilities, such as restrooms and food vendors, and creating an overall better experience for attendees by identifying bottlenecks and potential crowd or traffic control measures.
In addition to planning for future events, pedestrian volume and activity insights can be incredibly insightful for analysing past events and measuring their success in meaningful ways.
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