A Carrying Capacity Calculator for Pedestrians Using OpenStreetMap Data: Application to Urban Tourism and Public Spaces

Duarte Sampaio Almeida (), Rodrigo Simões, Fernando Brito e Abreu, Adriano Lopes and Inês Boavida-Portugal
Additional contact information
Duarte Sampaio Almeida: ISTAR-IUL, Instituto Universitário de Lisboa (Iscte-IUL)
Rodrigo Simões: ISTAR-IUL, Instituto Universitário de Lisboa (Iscte-IUL)
Fernando Brito e Abreu: ISTAR-IUL, Instituto Universitário de Lisboa (Iscte-IUL)
Adriano Lopes: ISTAR-IUL, Instituto Universitário de Lisboa (Iscte-IUL)
Inês Boavida-Portugal: University of Lisbon, Centre of Geographical Studies, Institute of Geography and Spatial Planning

A chapter in Information and Communication Technologies in Tourism 2025, 2025, pp 79-90 from Springer

Abstract: Abstract Determining the carrying capacity of urban tourism destinations and public spaces is essential for sustainable management. This paper presents an online tool that calculates pedestrian carrying capacities for user-defined areas based on OpenStreetMap (OSM) data. The tool considers physical, real, and effective carrying capacities by incorporating parameters such as area per pedestrian, rotation factor, corrective factors, and management capacity. The carrying capacity calculator aids in balancing environmental, economic, social, and experiential factors to prevent overcrowding and preserve the quality of life for residents and visitors. This tool can be used for tourism destination management, urban planning, and event management to ensure positive visitor experiences and sustainable infrastructure development. We detail the implementation of the calculator, its underlying algorithm, and its application to the Santa Maria Maior parish in Lisbon, highlighting its effectiveness in managing urban tourism and public spaces.

Keywords: Carrying capacity; Pedestrians; OpenStreetMap; Overcrowding; Tourism (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2025
References: Add references at CitEc
Citations:

There are no downloads for this item, see the EconPapers FAQ for hints about obtaining it.

Related works:
This item may be available elsewhere in EconPapers: Search for items with the same title.

Export reference: BibTeX RIS (EndNote, ProCite, RefMan) HTML/Text

Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:spr:prbchp:978-3-031-83705-0_7

Ordering information: This item can be ordered from
http://www.springer.com/9783031837050

DOI: 10.1007/978-3-031-83705-0_7

Access Statistics for this chapter

More chapters in Springer Proceedings in Business and Economics from Springer
Bibliographic data for series maintained by Sonal Shukla () and Springer Nature Abstracting and Indexing ().