Walking faster, hanging out less

A computer vision study reveals changes in pedestrian behavior since 1980. City life is often described as "fast-paced." A study coauthored by MIT scholars suggests that's more true than ever: The average walking speed in three northeastern US cities increased 15% from 1980 to 2010, while the number of people lingering in public spaces declined by 14%. The researchers used machine-learning tools to assess 1980s-era video footage captured in Boston, New York, and Philadelphia by William Whyte, an urbanist and social thinker best known as the author of . They compared the old material with newer videos from the same locations. "Something has changed over the past 40 years," says coauthor Carlo Ratti, director of MIT's Senseable City Lab.