Jove
Visualize
Contact Us
JoVE
x logofacebook logolinkedin logoyoutube logo
ABOUT JoVE
OverviewLeadershipBlogJoVE Help Center
AUTHORS
Publishing ProcessEditorial BoardScope & PoliciesPeer ReviewFAQSubmit
LIBRARIANS
TestimonialsSubscriptionsAccessResourcesLibrary Advisory BoardFAQ
RESEARCH
JoVE JournalMethods CollectionsJoVE Encyclopedia of ExperimentsArchive
EDUCATION
JoVE CoreJoVE BusinessJoVE Science EducationJoVE Lab ManualFaculty Resource CenterFaculty Site
Terms & Conditions of Use
Privacy Policy
Policies

Related Experiment Videos

Modelling the evolution of human trail systems

D Helbing1, J Keltsch, P Molnár

  • 1Institute of Theoretical Physics, University of Stuttgart, Germany. helbing@theo2.physik.uni-stuttgart.de

Nature
|July 3, 1997
PubMed
Summary
This summary is machine-generated.

Related Concept Videos

You might also read

Related Articles

Articles linked to this work by shared authors, journal, and citation graph.

Sort by
Same author

Robotic resection of a rudimentary horn pregnancy with the Da Vinci system: first case and systematic review of published cases in the 21st century.

Frontiers in surgery·2026
Same author

Air pollution exposure assessment for preschool children: Addressing spatial and temporal variations and social inequities.

Journal of environmental management·2025
Same author

The role of complexity for digital twins of cities.

Nature computational science·2024
Same author

Interannual Dynamics of Ice Cliff Populations on Debris-Covered Glaciers From Remote Sensing Observations and Stochastic Modeling.

Journal of geophysical research. Earth surface·2022
Same author

From social data mining to forecasting socio-economic crises.

The European physical journal. Special topics·2020
Same author

Making stratigraphy in the Anthropocene: climate change impacts and economic conditions controlling the supply of sediment to Lake Geneva.

Scientific reports·2019
Same journal

Daily briefing: 'Cyborg' cockroaches breathe underwater with printed suit.

Nature·2026
Same journal

China boosts prestigious grants for young scientists - will it ease competition?

Nature·2026
Same journal

Incoming US science academy chief vows to 'double down' on research.

Nature·2026
Same journal

Author Correction: Synthesis of enantioenriched atropisomers by biocatalytic deracemization.

Nature·2026
Same journal

Electrodeposited self-assembled molecules for perovskite photovoltaics.

Nature·2026
Same journal

Neutrino's nursery found: the 'Shadow Blaster'.

Nature·2026
See all related articles

This study models pedestrian movement in parks to understand trail system formation. The active walker model successfully replicates observed large-scale spatial features of these natural trails.

Area of Science:

  • Complex systems
  • Urban dynamics
  • Mathematical modeling

Background:

  • Human social phenomena like pedestrian movement can be described using self-organization principles.
  • Understanding trail system evolution in urban green spaces is crucial for urban planning.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To develop a mathematical model for pedestrian motion to explore trail evolution in urban parks.
  • To investigate the topological structures of trail systems.
  • To determine if optimal path systems can be predicted for urban planning.

Main Methods:

  • Utilized an 'active walker' model incorporating pedestrian motion and orientation.
  • Incorporated feedback mechanisms between pedestrians and their surrounding environment.
  • Applied established modeling techniques used in physical, chemical, and biological complex systems.

Related Experiment Videos

Main Results:

  • The developed model successfully reproduces many observed large-scale spatial features of trail systems.
  • The model provides insights into the self-organizing processes underlying trail formation.

Conclusions:

  • Mathematical models, specifically the active walker model, are effective in simulating pedestrian behavior and trail development.
  • Findings can inform urban planning and the design of green spaces for optimized pedestrian flow and network structures.