Semantic associates of the concept of "urban tempo" were examined through the use of multidimensional scaling and hierarchical clustering techniques. Results revealed a diverse set of categories that were associated with fast-and slow-paced environments. Subjects' ratings of 25 cities on these categories revealed substantial correlations between tempo categories and city size. Multidimensional scaling analysis indicated that three general dimensions underlie tempo categories: (1) arousal-activity, (2) affect-evaluation, and (3) overhead, or cost of living. The data suggest that "tempo" and "pace" are terms that are used as metaphors to describe experiences produced by both temporal and nontemporal attributes of urban environments.
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