Equitable Access to Services in Large-Scale Pedestrian Facilities

Abstract

This paper presents a modeling framework for the planning of spatially distributed public service facilities. The framework assists in determining the locations and capacities of public facilities in different contexts including urban planning, architectural design, and special events. Given a preliminary set of feasible facility locations, the framework solves for the optimal capacity of each facility and the associated pedestrian-facility distribution pattern. The capacities are allocated such that the total time spent by all pedestrians is minimized. The framework assumes informed pedestrians where each pedestrian is minimizing the combined access and service times at the facility. The framework is first illustrated using a hypothetical area with few service facilities. Then, the results are presented for the application of the framework to plan the amenity services in a major pilgrimage site in Makkah, Saudi Arabia. The results illustrate the capabilities of the framework in determining the optimal service area for each facility, which is essential for the design of wayfinding schemes that ensure service efficiency. Furthermore, it provides a plan for prioritizing capacity expansion of the facilities such that pedestrians’ benefits are maximized.