Preprint Article Version 1 Preserved in Portico This version is not peer-reviewed

Unidirectional Pedestrian Circulation: Physical Distancing in Informal Settlements

Version 1 : Received: 27 October 2020 / Approved: 29 October 2020 / Online: 29 October 2020 (08:44:21 CET)

A peer-reviewed article of this Preprint also exists.

Fernández González, J., & Gongal, A. (2021). Unidirectional pedestrian circulation: physical distancing in informal settlements. Buildings and Cities, 2(1), 655–665. DOI: http://doi.org/10.5334/bc.113 Fernández González, J., & Gongal, A. (2021). Unidirectional pedestrian circulation: physical distancing in informal settlements. Buildings and Cities, 2(1), 655–665. DOI: http://doi.org/10.5334/bc.113

Abstract

The COVID-19 pandemic has resulted in a wide range of spatial interventions to slow down the spread of the virus. The spatial limitations of narrow public circulation spaces within informal settlements, which house over one billion people around the world, make it impossible for pedestrians to practice physical distancing (or social distancing). In this paper, we propose a flexible mathematical method, named the Cluster Lane Method, for turning a planar circulation network of any size or complexity into a network of unidirectional lanes, making physical distancing possible in narrow circulation spaces by limiting face-to-face interactions. New notions and theorems about oriented graphs in graph theory are introduced. The paper ends with a discussion of the potential implementation of this cost-efficient, low-tech, sustainable solution, and with the introduction of a novel unidirectional tactile paving for the visually impaired.

Keywords

circulation; informal settlements; COVID-19; coronavirus; physical distancing; social distancing; graph theory; oriented graph; cluster graph; urban planning; architecture; Königsberg; Dharavi; Christopher Alexander; slum; favela

Subject

Computer Science and Mathematics, Algebra and Number Theory

Comments (0)

We encourage comments and feedback from a broad range of readers. See criteria for comments and our Diversity statement.

Leave a public comment
Send a private comment to the author(s)
* All users must log in before leaving a comment
Views 0
Downloads 0
Comments 0
Metrics 0


×
Alerts
Notify me about updates to this article or when a peer-reviewed version is published.
We use cookies on our website to ensure you get the best experience.
Read more about our cookies here.