ABSTRACT
One of the most interactive demonstrations we use in the workshops is a series of density experiments using a xed area. These are important elements in understanding both the physical (number of people per square metre) and psychological (how it feels) factors in crowded spaces. These experiments illustrate a common failure in event planning: the temptation to focus on capacity and not on how the spaces are going to be used. We may, for example, have a vast area available for the event but still experience crowd-crushing problems if the stage area is badly designed, or entry and exit systems are not suitably arranged/wide enough. In this chapter, we shall construct up a series of models for both static and dynamic spaces, areas where the crowd is predominantly stationary (static) and where it is predominantly moving (dynamic) to assist the event planner, licensing ofcer and operation teams to recognise crowd risks. This is important because the event will shape the crowds behaviour, specically how crowds react to risks.
