Towards a mixed approach combining visibility and mobility studies to analyze the Eleftheria Square, Nicosia (CY)

International audienceIn the present joint research, authors are trying to correlate surroundings assessments with pedestrian movement behavior through visibility and mobility studies respectively. In order to achieve this objective, several isovists field simulations have been applied on the one hand, and a virtual forces based model has been introduced on the other hand. A specific aspect of the present study is that it proceeds in a systematic evaluation of the whole region of interest and does not only focus on several given trajectories. The field oriented analysis of the open spaces through a drift based shape index exhibits several morphological saliencies. The virtual forces model gives an indication of pedestrian movements through generated trajectories. As a result, both approaches have been merged in a common geographical information system which allows achieving reliable spatial comparisons. For instance, movement accelerators have been spatially correlated to areas of lowest drift magnitudes