Pedestrians speed up, while street conversations decline

MIT scientists used artificial intelligence to analyze video recordings from busy areas in Boston, New York, and Philadelphia, dating back to the 1980s. The results are surprising: the average pedestrian speed has increased by 15% over three decades, and the number of people talking on the street has dropped from 5.5% to 2%.

Why is this happening? Researchers believe it is linked to the rising popularity of coffee shops and other comfortable meeting places. People prefer to spend time in cozy establishments rather than on noisy streets.

Interestingly, the share of those walking alone has remained the same—about two-thirds of pedestrians. MIT professor Carlo Ratti notes: "In the past, streets were a place for communication and meeting new people; today, this can be done online."

The research continues: now AI will analyze videos from squares in 40 European cities. 🌍

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