When urban development takes place, a traffic impact assessment is often needed before a project is approved: What will happen to auto traffic if a new apartment building or business complex is constructed, or if a road is widened? On the other hand, new developments affect foot traffic as well — and yet few places study the effects of urban change on pedestrians. A group of MIT researchers wants to alter that, by developing a model of pedestrian activity that planners and city officials can use in much the same…
