10.2190/MMPX-UH5K-6T1B-RLN2 MMPXUH5K6T1BRLN2 2 A Comparative Study Of Three Suburban Malls: The Influence of Physical Environment On Pedestrian Behavior 17 25 20020509 20020509 20020509 20020509 MMPXUH5K6T1BRLN2.pdf http://baywood.metapress.com/link.asp?target=contribution&id=MMPXUH5K6T1BRLN2 1 Cortus T. Koehler Department of Political Science, North Texas State University <p>This study proceeds from the assumption that physical environments effect human behavior; and, in general, the study is concerned with discerning how the environmental characteristics of three different suburban shopping mall systems influence pedestrian behavior patterns. In particular, the study is interested in learning which of the three mall forms is most effective in generating pedestrian activity on the mall itself.</p><p>The malls included in the study are located in a densely populated suburban area east of Los Angeles, California. The data used in this study was acquired by observing pedestrian behavior patterns on the three malls over a two year period. The results of these observations were then compared and analyzed within the context of each mall's environmental system.</p><p>The analysis suggests that as the quality of the symmetrization and integration of the structural components of a mall increases, the capacity of a mall's overall environmental system to facilitate the merger of human activity onto the mall increases.</p>