Gender and composition effects on pedestrian dynamics in multidirectional flow: a comparative analysis of movement behavior and conflict events

Abstract This study investigates pedestrian movement characteristics through multidirectional experiments, focusing on homogeneous and heterogeneous group compositions within a Pakistani demography and employing multidirectional experiments to examine pedestrian movement characteristics. We examine the effects of gender composition on multidirectional pedestrian movement. Statistical analysis revealed no significant differences in average walking speeds among different pedestrian group compositions. Walking speed decreased with increasing density across all groups, and overall patterns were comparable for female-only, male-only and mixed-gender groups. The influence of gender composition on movement efficiency was also investigated, and the results indicated that group composition had no significant effect on the overall distance traveled or the time required to complete the journey. Density had a greater influence on crowd safety metrics than gender composition, with higher densities resulting in shorter risk distances. Turning behaviors were constant across groups, and cautious navigation emerged as a common strategy in multidirectional dense flows. These findings provide practical crowd management recommendations, highlighting cautious navigation patterns. Safety metrics and conflict detection can help to optimize evacuation routes, increase overall flow efficiency and protect the public.