STOP / STAY PROPERTIES IN USAGE STATUS AND DENSITY DISTRIBUTION IN PUBLIC SPACE AROUND STATION

Abstract

 This paper divided users of squares around train stations into three groups of “passersby”, “users taking stop action” and “users taking stay action” and further divided the attention directions of the users taking stop / stay actions into four types, as follows. “Even” means the even distribution of attention directions. “Uneven” means the presence of some unevenness while the directions are evenly distributed. “Concentrate” means the presence of concentrated center of attention. “Diffuse” means the presence of a center in the place, and the users' attention directions spread from the center. The study clarified the characteristics of users taking the stop / stay actions in the open areas around stations through quantitative analyses of whether the attention directions are always stable or fluctuating, in addition to observational surveys.
 As a result, it found as follows:
 (1) Analyses of density distribution found that the staying actions concentrate near the space components, such as clock towers and ascending and descending staircases, and places where people can sit down, such as benches and steps. Stopping actions, on the other hand, are observed along the traffic lines of passersby, entrances of department stores, and around guide signs. Stopping actions occur in a more expansive area than that of staying actions.
 (2) In terms of the relation between space components and user actions, more people use a space as a meeting place when the space is more densely used. Outdoor squares are less used, and many people use them as a space to relax.
 (3) From the results of quantitative analyses of density and dispersion concerning the stopping and staying actions, in addition to the observational survey of stopping and staying distributions, the study found that the classification based on the space users' attention directions are significantly influenced by the user density. When the user density is extremely high or low, the space components do not function.