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

The purpose of this study is to visualize and analyze the actual use of “malls” in large-scale commercial facilities in order to find crucial guideline for plans that match the intentions of the visitors. For commercial facilities, malls are not directly linked to rent and are therefore considered to have low profitability at first glance. Based on my experience, I believe that malls have a significant impact on the behavior of visitors, which in turn affects their shopping experience and ultimately revenue. Similarly, in the field of architectural design, malls have been primarily valued for their design, and as a result, there has been little academic research from the perspective of users. In this study, we adapted the vehicle survey method used in civil engineering to determine users’ ‘behavioral’ trajectories concerning ‘Malls.’ First, we devised an evaluation method unique to this survey that superimposes ‘Action’ and ‘Intention’. Next, through this evaluation, we found that visitors were exclusively forming groups, and we analyzed the characteristics of their group behavior. Based on the results of these analyses, we identified planning elements (plantings, street furniture, and playground equipment) that could hinder group activities and proposed corresponding improvements. In this way, our research has identified the elements of the mall environments that influence visitor behavior and the appropriate guidelines for planning decisions for each element. This planning standards provides not only the knowledge necessary for commercial facility planners but also valuable insights for urban planners, architects, and landscape designers.