Step Lively, Please!

Beijing is transforming in the blink of an eye, and its residents are moving more quickly as well. According to a recent survey by pedestrian simulation software company Legion, Beijingers are outpacing Hong Kongers by 10%. Using hundreds of hours of video footage recorded at various Beijing subway stations, it turns out that Beijingers are speeding along at 5.3 kph compared to 4.8 kph for Hong Kongers.

Beijing isn't alone in stepping quickly – pedestrians the world over are hurrying up, with Singaporeans the fastest in the world according to another study conducted by British psychologist Professor Richard Wiseman. Busy Guangzhou ranked fourth in the world, over other famously fast-paced cities like New York (8th) and London (12th).

What's behind all the rush?

This article from the New York Times in 1909 suggests that modernization may be the reason for the quickening pace of urbanites. With its description of "old thoroughfares [being] broadened and...splendid buildings, public and private, [being] erected," the article raises interesting points of comparison between Beijing's transformation and a similar transformation that took place in London one hundred years ago. As Londoners phased out horse-drawn cabs for cars and subway lines, the writer of the article is struck by the idea that perhaps people are walking faster in "an unconscious imitation of the auto vehicles on the surface and the transit lines beneath it."

For more tidbits about the weird and wonderful things that set Beijing apart from other cities around the world, take a look at Fiona Lee’s quirkyBeijing.

Links and Sources:
Yahoo: It's All Rush Hour in Beijing as Research Reveals Chinese Commuters Are in a Hurry
NY Times: Londoners are Livelier
CNN: Singapore: World's fastest walkers
Pace of Life
Reuters: World's cities step up pace of life in fast lane
The First:本周五地铁客流创新高 (image)