The phrase “city life is fast-paced” appears to have taken a more literal meaning in recent years. According to a research collaboration by MIT researchers, it turns out pedestrians in key northeastern U.S. cities are genuinely moving faster than they did a few decades ago. The study uncovers that the average walking speed in Boston, New York, and Philadelphia has risen by 15 percent, while the instances of people hanging around in public spaces have dropped by 14 percent.
The intriguing journey into the changing pace of urban life began by comparing old film footage from the late 1970s and early 1980s with 2010 video data from identical city spots. Using the magic of machine-learning, analysis centered on public behavior in the three aforementioned cities. The early films, donated by famous urbanist William Whyte, were digitized for the purpose of this innovative study. “We’ve noticed a significant shift over the last four decades,” remarked Carlo Ratti, co-author of the study and MIT professor, talking on how people now use public spaces primarily for transit rather than social interaction.
The original research was fixated around four vibrant city corners: Boston’s Downtown Crossing, Bryant Park and the Metropolitan Museum of Art’s steps in NYC, and Chestnut Street in Philadelphia. In a repeat marathon, a research team, directed by Michigan State University professor Keith Hampton, re-visited these venues, filming the areas at identical hours to catch the changes.
It was the usage of artificial intelligence and computer vision that allowed the researchers to measure alterations in social patterns. Interestingly, the percentage of lone walkers remained unchanged over the years, with just a slight increase from 67 percent in 1980 to 68 percent in 2010. However, a substantial dip was seen in the percentage of people stopping to join a group in these public spaces, plunging from 5.5 percent to a mere 2 percent.
An array of factors could be influencing these changes. Primarily, the almost universal presence of mobile phones nowadays has likely changed the way we meet and interact publicly. Secondly, the indoor social scene dominated by coffee shops might be another reason people prefer these comfortable spheres over sidewalks. In comparison, coffee shop chains were a rare sight in 1980, while they are now an integral part of urban landscapes.
The shift in public behavior could spur changes in how cities design and utilize urban spaces. Arianna Salazar-Miranda, another co-author and an assistant professor at Yale University, describes the importance of public space as a counter to the polarizing digital realm. Consequently, the more we can improve public areas, the better we can make our cities for social engagements.
While implementing this study as a promising proof-of-concept, the research team is already broadening their horizons. Ratti is joining hands with Fabio Duarte and others from MIT’s Senseable City Lab to study 40 public squares across Europe to delve deeper into how people interact in urban conditions. “We aim to learn at a larger scale,” said Duarte, outlining their next challenge.
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