Mall Visitors Form Groups, Shaping Open Space Design

Researchers at a large-scale commercial facility in Japan have demonstrated that pedestrian behavior in privately owned outdoor malls is fundamentally structured by group dynamics, specifically the need for mutual visibility among members. The study, published in City, Territory and Architecture, utilized walking-trajectory-based survey analysis to visualize how visitors actually use open spaces, challenging the assumption that these areas are merely low-profit transit zones. By adapting vehicle survey methods from civil engineering to human behavior, the team identified that visitors do not move as isolated individuals but as cohesive units that prioritize maintaining visual contact with one another. This finding suggests that the planning of open spaces in commercial facilities, and potentially public urban areas, must account for the spatial requirements of group interaction rather than just individual flow.

The investigation focused on the Oyama–Yuen Harvest Walk in Tochigi Prefecture, a facility opened in 2007 that features the third-largest commercial space in the region. The site includes open-air malls designed as parks and plazas, covering a walk-around area of approximately 65,000 square meters. The lead author, who was involved in the facility’s initial planning, conducted the survey to bridge the gap between design intentions and actual user behavior. The study aimed to transform confidential business data regarding visitor behavior into academic research, providing insights that could be applied to urban planning and architectural design.

To capture the complex movements of pedestrians, the researchers employed View Pole cameras, a technology that records overhead views from heights of three to five meters above the ground. These cameras, equipped with GPS synchronization, allowed for the precise tracking of visitors’ feet and positions without requiring subjects to wear devices, which could otherwise restrict their natural behavior. The survey was conducted on a Saturday in March 2018, between 10:00 and 19:00, during which 9,253 vehicles visited the facility. The analysis focused on the peak hour of 3:00 p.m., when the number of arriving vehicles was highest at 1,449. This peak period was selected because complex behavioral patterns, such as collision avoidance and group coordination, are more likely to occur when the space is crowded.

Each visitor’s path was plotted as a series of line segments spaced two seconds apart, covering intervals from a minimum of 20 seconds to a maximum of 2,324 seconds. To facilitate the analysis of spacing, the researchers plotted shapes representing the average shoulder width of Japanese adults and children at the endpoints of these segments. Adults were represented by 450-mm squares, while children were represented by 310-mm-diameter circles. This visualization technique allowed the team to superimpose the walking trajectories of all users present during the same time period, creating a dense map of movement that revealed the underlying structure of pedestrian flow.

During the one-minute peak period from 14:59:01 to 15:00:01, 93 visitors were identified as lingering in the Harvest Plaza and adjacent passages. These individuals formed 36 distinct groups, averaging 2.67 visitors per group, comprising 61 adults and 35 children. The study categorized visitor intentions into four types: passing, playing, watching over, and staying. The analysis revealed that 18 groups, totaling 50 persons, were engaged in passing through the area. Notably, these groups moved side by side, maintaining a formation that allowed members to monitor their direction of travel and check on each other. This side-by-side movement was a consistent feature, even when groups had to narrow their width to pass other pedestrians, indicating a strong priority for maintaining group cohesion.

The spatial requirements for this side-by-side movement were quantified through the trajectory analysis. Although Passage 1 has a standard width of 2,500 mm, the superimposed trajectories showed that groups expanded to use a maximum width of 3,300 mm when passing each other. This expansion suggests that conventional passage widths may be insufficient for the comfortable movement of groups in commercial malls. The study concludes that planners should aim for widths of at least 3,000 mm to allow two-person groups to pass smoothly without breaking their side-by-side alignment.

Behavior related to children playing and adults watching over them revealed distinct spatial zones. In the area around Playground Equipment 1, a zone of watchers emerged, with widths ranging from 1,400 mm to 3,600 mm. The width of this zone depended on the availability of open space and the visibility of the playing children. Four types of watching behavior were observed, varying from holding the child’s hand to watching from a distant bench. The younger the child, the more absorbed they were in play, often not recognizing the watcher, which necessitated closer supervision. In contrast, Playground Equipment 2, which had age limits and fees, only allowed distant watching because adults could not enter the structure. This limitation resulted in a different dynamic, where watchers communicated visually by waving, concentrating their attention in directions where mutual visibility was easy.

The choice of seating for adults engaged in staying or watching was heavily influenced by visibility. Bench 1 was preferred over Bench 2 because it offered a clear view of both playground equipment and the plaza, allowing group members to see each other. Bench 2, which was not visible from the square, was only used when the entire group was gathered around it. No one sat on the center of Bench 2 because the height of Playground Equipment 2 obstructed the line of sight. This finding underscores the importance of visibility in group dynamics; members choose positions based on the ability to recognize where other members are, rather than on proximity alone. The study suggests that planners must strategically place benches and other street furniture to ensure that group members can maintain visual contact, even when separated by distance.

The interaction between different intentions revealed potential safety risks. In Passage 1, the close proximity of 3,000 mm between the passage and Playground Equipment 1 created a direct intersection between passing pedestrians and those playing or watching. This led to collision avoidance actions, such as slowing down or changing direction, by those passing through. In contrast, Passage 2 was used almost exclusively for passing, and while intersections occurred in the Harvest Plaza, no dangerous elements were confirmed due to the lower population density and distance from the playground equipment. The study highlights the need to separate high-traffic passing routes from areas of stationary activity to reduce the risk of conflict and improve the flow of pedestrians.

Based on these findings, the researchers proposed several improvements to the facility’s open space design. They recommended installing lower playground equipment to improve visibility from benches, placing new benches on the southwest side of the plaza for better overview, and moving Playground Equipment 1 further away from Passage 1 to reduce obstruction. Additionally, they suggested managing plant growth to prevent obstruction of visibility and re-evaluating the width of Passage 1 to accommodate the actual space used by groups. These recommendations are intended to enhance the experience for visitors and provide a model for planning other public spaces. The study acknowledges its limitations, noting that it was conducted at a single facility and that further research is needed to establish universal guidelines for urban open spaces and pedestrian areas.

Subject of Research: Analysis of pedestrian group behavior and spatial usage in commercial open spaces

Article Title: Walking-trajectory-based survey analysis of pedestrians’ actual usages of open spaces in a large-scale commercial facility

Article References: Kawamura, D., & Setoguchi, T. (2025). Walking-trajectory-based survey analysis of pedestrians’ actual usages of open spaces in a large-scale commercial facility. City, Territory and Architecture, 12(1), Article 33. https://doi.org/10.1186/s40410-025-00282-8

Image Credits: AI Generated

DOI: 10.1186/s40410-025-00282-8

Keywords: pedestrian trajectory, commercial facility, open space design, group dynamics, urban planning, View Pole camera, behavioral analysis, pathway width, visibility, visitor behavior, architectural design, spatial analysis, public space, collision avoidance, lifestyle center, street furniture, playground equipment, peak hour analysis, civil engineering method, Tochigi Prefecture