The Impact of Layout and Visual Stimuli on the Itineraries and Perceptions of Pedestrians in a Public Market

The role of visual stimuli in the route choices of pedestrians is compared with the impact of layout, stall content, and the presence of other people in a public market. Pedestrian counts and videotape were used to determine the stability of the distribution of persons over time and the significance of turning movements within the market. Trip planning, mental maps, and motivations for purchase and spatial behaviour were studied by means of questionnaires. Individual itineraries were studied with tracking and behavioural mapping. It was found that presence and movement patterns were stable over time and that a large part of decisionmaking was spontaneous. Flows and presence can be explained largely by layout and visual stimuli, and a variety of typical behaviours and perceptions help explain the extensive pedestrian coverage of the market and its breakdown into subareas.