Modeling pedestrians' activity time-use choices in a virtual urban public space: The influences of the environment and affective experience

Abstract

Understanding pedestrians' time-use choices for multiple activities in urban public spaces is crucial for developing diverse and inclusive public spaces. Few studies have explored how pedestrians' time-use choices are influenced by the physical environment when engaging in various micro-level activities in public spaces, nor have they captured the influence of experience-based factors (e.g., emotion and perceptions) triggered by varying environments, as well as heterogeneity between individuals. This study employs the multiple discrete-continuous extreme value (MDCEV) model to estimate the effects of public space environmental attributes, visit purpose, emotion, and perceptions on individuals' activity time-use choices using data collected in varying virtual hypothetical public spaces. A latent class MDCEV model incorporating personal variables is used to further examine individual heterogeneity. The results indicate that outdoor dining spaces and benches significantly promote outdoor activities. Emotional pleasure and arousal, as well as perceived legibility and liveness, significantly influence various activities in varying ways and to varying degrees. Differences in activity time-use choice patterns between two groups are revealed - one more emotionally driven and the other more cognitively driven. The results complement existing knowledge of pedestrians' activities and inform the planning and design decisions for positive human-environment interactions in urban public spaces.