Walking in the City: An Experimental Pedestrian Stress Test for Marienplatz in Stuttgart, Germany

In an experimental study with 15 participants, stress measurements of pedestrian traffic were conducted in the urban environment of Stuttgart's Marienplatz. Stress was measured with sensor wristbands. In addition, standardized questionnaires were used to incorporate personal dispositions into stress generation. Heat maps, group comparisons, and exploratory cluster analyses were used to obtain circumstantial evidence of stress emergence. Four stress factors were identified (lack of space, interruption of the desired line, noise, and quality of infrastructure). Individual factors associated with stress here include gender, knowledge of the place, and psychological factors. Cluster analysis also suggests three groups that are homogeneous in their experience of stress. The results of the study will be used to better understand stress as an inhibiting factor for choosing walking as a mode of transportation. In the future, the findings can help to better integrate the human scale into the data collection and implementation of (digital) urban planning projects.