Analysis of Factors Influencing on Pedestrian Behavior in Shopping Areas of the City Center

Abstract

The central area of Kobe City has some unique districts which are close each other, leading to its attractiveness. However, most pedestrians visit only a small number of places around railway stations, and it has been pointed out that their activity space is very narrow. This study aims to analyze factors influencing on pedestrian behavior in shopping areas in the city center of Kobe City, based on the results of questionnaire survey to visitors conducted by the authors. First, four indices, including time spent in shopping areas, walking distance, the number of stores visited and money spent in stores, are calculated to understand characteristics of pedestrian behavior. Next, factors influencing on each index are revealed using mathematical quantification theory class I.