Developing the behavioural rules for an agentbased model of pedestrian movement

The recent shift in emphasis towards walking as a safe, healthy and sustainable mode of transport presents a number of practical problems for the urban planner. Until recently, urban planning has largely placed the road user at the centre of infra-structural design, with significant implications for the perceived attractiveness of pedestrian environments (see the National Consumer Council Survey, 1987). This, together with more generalised changes in the pace of urban life and the dispersal of towns and cities, has played a significant role in the decreasing modal share of walking observed over the last quarter of the twentieth century. Our governments ’ recent commitments to reversing this decline is evidenced by their decision to charge local authorities with developing local Walking Strategies (DETR, 1998; Scottish Executive, 1998). Encouraging people to walk, however, is not trivial. In order to increase the number of pedestrian journeys within a given area, walking (either as a mode of transport, or as a leisure activity) must be made more attractive. However