The largest increase in average rates was recorded in the Asia-Pacific region, and the fastest cities turned out to be Singapore, Copenhagen, and Madrid. In particular, pedestrian speed in the city-state of Singapore increased by 30%, and in Guangzhou (Canton), the capital of China's Guangdong province, by 20%.
Cities traditionally considered 'fast' showed moderate growth in indicators. By this criterion, New York ranked 8th, London 12th, and Tokyo 16th. Closing the list are the world's most relaxed cities: Blantyre-Limbe in southern Malawi and Bahrain's capital Manama.
To obtain data for his study, Professor Wiseman visited all these and many other cities, where he calculated the average time it took 35 adult pedestrians to cover a distance of 18 meters. He then compared these data with values recorded ten years earlier in a similar study by Professor Robert Levine from California State University.
From a psychological point of view, the professor says, pedestrian speed is determined by their subjective perception of how hurried they should feel and how fast everything should be done. For self-control in an ever-accelerating world, the professor recommends that city dwellers constantly note whether they finish eating first, whether they get annoyed if they have to trail behind someone on the street, or whether they leave a store at the slightest sign of a queue.
• Not only pedestrian speed but also people's mood is influenced by the quality of the pavement they walk on. That is why prudent owners of cafes and restaurants order such paving stones that attract the attention of passersby and make them want to turn toward the establishment.
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