Simulation study of non-traveling pedestrian traffic in high-speed railway station areas: A case study of the Yangtze River Delta

Non-Traveling Pedestrian Traffic (NTPT) plays a pivotal role in promoting business development and resident activities within High-Speed Railway Station Areas (HSRSA). However, extracting NTPT from the substantial human flow in HSRSA is technically challenging, leading to an insufficient previous discourse on the subject. In this study, we developed a simulation model for NTPT based on spatial and functional data, complemented by an evaluation framework incorporating indicators such as completeness, hierarchy, and centrality. The feasibility of this model is heightened by its reduced reliance on the collection and processing of massive pedestrian flow data. Using the Yangtze River Delta in China as a case study, the model simulation results show that limitations in NTPT development in the HSRSAs primarily stem from the lack of links between nodes and deficiencies in guiding and reinforcing these links, in addition to the fact that high-speed rail passengers exert a pronounced negative impact on NTPT. This study illustrates that NTPT is a consequence of the comprehensive interplay of spatial planning, functional development, and management policies in HSRSA. The analytical framework developed in this study contributes to elucidating the multifactorial mechanisms influencing NTPT.