A Glossary for Research on Human Crowd Dynamics

Abstract

This article presents a glossary of terms that are frequently used in research on human crowds. This topic is inherently multidisciplinary as it includes work in and across computer science, engineering, mathematics, physics, psychology and social science, for example. We do not view the glossary presented here as a collection of finalised and formal definitions. Instead, we suggest it is a snapshot of current views and the starting point of an ongoing process that we hope will be useful in providing some guidance on the use of terminology to develop a mutual understanding across disciplines. The glossary was developed collaboratively during a multidisciplinary meeting. We deliberately allow several definitions of terms, to reflect the confluence of disciplines in the field. This also reflects the fact not all contributors necessarily agree with all definitions in this glossary.

Empirical Research on Pedestrians’ Behavior and Crowd Dynamics

“…is special issue is in line with the increasing recognition that experimental and data driven studies of crowd dynamics have received in the last few years [5]. We hope that the publication of this special issue can further contribute to the harmonisation of research e orts in this eld [6] and to address some of the research gaps outlined earlier. Ten papers were accepted for nal publication and are brie y introduced below.…”

EXPOSED: An occupant exposure model for confined spaces to retrofit crowd models during a pandemic

“…Step 1 is the definition of crowd movement scenarios. The user would have to set the assumptions on crowd movement and behaviour, such as circulation paths, group behaviour (intended here as a group of people moving together ( Adrian et al, 2019 ), building occupant interactions, etc. Crowd movement and behaviour can be represented with different levels of sophistication in relation to the crowd model in use ( Duives et al, 2013 ).…”

A Turing test for crowds

“…The study of human crowd dynamics [9] is motivated by the desire to understand and predict the behaviour of individuals en masse, and encompasses a diverse range of crowd types, from large, mainly static crowds at sporting events or concerts [10], to transitory and flowing crowds, such as those found in train stations at rush hour [11], or at religious events such as Hajj [12]. As urban centres grow in size (the United Nations predicts that, by 2050, 68% of the global population will live in cities [13]), we will need to understand and mitigate the impact of crowds on infrastructure, safety, security and quality of life [14].…”