Analysis of the Efficiency of Slope Evacuation for Dense Crowds in Urban Street-Type Public Spaces

Street-type spaces, characterized by their relative closedness and propensity for human congregation, inherently carry potential safety evacuation risks. In order to study the influence of slopes on the evacuation efficiency of pedestrians in street-type public spaces under the state of passenger flow surge during holidays, this study systematically analyzes the changing rules and behavioral characteristics of pedestrian evacuation in downhill movement through a three-phase analysis of the risk of crowd gathering in urban street-type spaces (before, during, and after) and evacuation simulation experiments combining variables such as slope, street width, obstacle layout, disability type, and group movement. The findings indicate that, in the structural design of street-type spaces, slopes of more than 4° should be minimized to maintain the smooth flow of pedestrians. Areas in streets with widths narrower than 2 m are high-risk zones for crowd gathering and should be better supervised. The number and location of obstacles should be reasonably arranged under the condition of satisfying the safety of pedestrians’ passage. The differences in the ability of evacuees should be taken into account to improve evacuation system deficiencies and ensure that everyone can evacuate safely. Ultimately, we propose a preventive mechanism for the safe evacuation of urban street-type public spaces to reduce the risk of crowd gathering and safeguard pedestrians. This study provides a theoretical framework for understanding the dynamics of pedestrian evacuation in inclined street-type spaces, thereby guiding urban planners and public safety managers to enhance the design and management of such spaces.