Developing the next generation of pedestrian behaviour models for revival of high streets and sustainable transport

Modelling the behaviour of pedestrians in city centres is of practical importance not only for sustainable transport (reducing reliance on motor vehicles addresses issues of carbon emissions, congestion and health) but also can help inform planning for town centres in a post-COVID world. High Street retail has long been in decline relative to out-of-town and online shopping; the pandemic has served to accelerate this process and the question of what a successful town centre will look like in 2030 remains open.

Our own previous research has included the first longitudinal strategic predictions of pedestrian flow [1], optimization of bus routes [2] and a classification of UK town centre types based on pedestrian sensor data [3].

We are interested in supporting a variety of projects within this space, including for example

·      Methods for calibration of existing pedestrian simulations software such as www.cardiff.ac.uk/sdna to the diverse array of sensor, census and mobile phone data now available to determine which environments are more attractive for walking and when people will choose to walk

·      Methods for inclusion of more accurate built environment data into pedestrian models, e.g. by applying image recognition to freely available street view data

We have strong links with several transport consultancies and the Government High Streets Task Force to ensure models developed are both well aligned with the needs of city planners, and any results are likely to have real world impact.

For more information about this project, please contact Dr Cooper, [Email Address Removed]

Academic criteria: A 2:1 Honours undergraduate degree or a master's degree, in computing or a related subject.  Applicants with appropriate professional experience are also considered. Degree-level mathematics (or equivalent) is required for research in some project areas.

Applicants for whom English is not their first language must demonstrate proficiency by obtaining an IELTS score of at least 6.5 overall, with a minimum of 6.0 in each skills component.

How to apply:

Please contact the supervisors of the project prior to submitting your application to discuss and develop an individual research proposal that builds on the information provided in this advert. Once you have developed the proposal with support from the supervisors, please submit your application following the instructions provided below

Please submit your application before the application deadline 29th April 2022 via Computer Science and Informatics - Study - Cardiff University

In order to be considered candidates must submit the following information: 

• Supporting statement 
• CV 
• In the ‘Research Proposal’ section of the application enter the name of the project you are applying to and upload your Individual research proposal, as mentioned above in BOLD
• In the funding field of your application, insert “I am applying for 2022 PhD Scholarship in Computer Science and Informatics”, and specify the project title and supervisors of this project in the text box provided.
• Qualification certificates and Transcripts
• References x 2 
• Proof of English language (if applicable)

Interview - If the application meets the entrance requirements, you will be invited to an interview. 

If you have any questions or need more information, please contact [Email Address Removed]