PTV Vissim

Simulate Pedestrian and Crowd Movement

PTV Viswalk enables planners to simulate pedestrian flows and crowd dynamics in complex environments such as stations, urban centers and event venues. 

Integrated with PTV Vissim, it captures realistic interactions between pedestrians, vehicles and infrastructure in multimodal environments to support safe and efficient movement planning.

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Evacuation simulation and pedestrian safety

In high-density environments, pedestrian safety is not only a regulatory requirement but also a matter of public trust and liability. Pedestrian and evacuation simulation provide a defensible, scenario-based approach to identify bottlenecks, calculate egress time and risk areas before construction or operation.  

PTV Viswalk simulates pedestrian flow using a social force-based behavioral approach. Evacuation scenarios can incorporate blocked routes, phased evacuation strategies, reduced visibility conditions, and multimodal interactions with vehicles or public transit where relevant. This enables authorities and operators to test evacuation procedures and validate safety performance under realistic behavioral assumptions. 

Pedestrian flow (simulation) at train stations

Train stations are complex environments in which pedestrian flow directly affects platform capacity and the performance of vertical circulation systems. 

During peak periods, even small changes in passenger volumes can lead to bottlenecks, delayed transfers and increased safety risks. Passenger flow simulation provides a structured way to analyze these dynamics under realistic operating conditions. By simulating individual passenger behavior, dwell times and timetable-based arrival patterns at platforms, PTV Viswalk enables the validation of station layouts and operational concepts before implementation. 

Crowd simulation for events, stadiums & airports

Large venues such as events, stadiums, and airports experience highly dynamic, peak-driven pedestrian flows that can create operational and safety risks.  

Passenger flow simulation provides a structured way to analyze crowd movement under realistic peak and emergency conditions. PTV Viswalk supports detailed crowd simulation to evaluate bottleneck formation, queue development and high-density passenger flow across entry points, concourses, security checkpoints and boarding areas. Based on this analysis, ingress, egress and circulation concepts can be validated before opening or major event operation. 

For airport applications, PTV Viswalk supports airport passenger flow simulation and security queue simulation, enabling the assessment of terminal circulation, checkpoint performance and peak-load scenarios. 

Pedestrian flow simulation for shopping malls

Retail environments depend on smooth circulation, accessibility and predictable pedestrian movements to support both customer satisfaction and commercial performance.  

In shopping malls, rental value and store attractiveness are closely linked to footfall distribution and visibility within the building. Shopping mall pedestrian simulation provides a structured way to analyze pedestrian flow and crowd movement under realistic peak conditions and promotional scenarios. 

PTV Viswalk enables the evaluation of layout designs, store positioning and access configurations by simulating individual pedestrian behavior and time-based demand patterns 

This allows developers and operators to assess congestion levels, dwell time patterns and pedestrian distribution across entrances, corridors and anchor zones before implementation. By validating design alternatives through crowd simulation, both operational performance and the commercial value of retail space can be supported with data-driven insights. 

Evacuation simulation for public and commercial buildings

For large public or commercial buildings, safe and efficient movement of people is essential for regulatory approval and long-term operational performance.  

Building evacuation simulation in PTV Viswalk tests spatial layouts under realistic occupancy scenarios before construction or renovation. PTV Viswalk also supports evacuation simulation and emergency evacuation simulation for everyday circulation as well as fire and safety scenarios. 

Key performance indicators such as clearance times, density thresholds, and flow bottlenecks are visualized to reduce compliance risk and to improve occupant safety. 

Why crowd and pedestrian experts use PTV Vissim

Scenario-based crowd validation

Test pedestrian and crowd scenarios to identify congestion points, clearance times, and operational risks before implementation.

Quantify safety performance

Use density heatmaps, flow rates, and travel time indicators to evaluate crowd performance against safety standards.

Simulate evacuation scenarios

Evaluate evacuation strategies under peak and stress conditions, including blocked routes and phased evacuation concepts.

Model realistic peak demand

Integrate timetable data and passenger arrival patterns to represent realistic peak transit scenarios.

Analyze arrival waves and queues

Simulate arrival waves typical for events or transport hubs and evaluate bottleneck development and queue formation.

Identify density risks early

Detect critical density thresholds and flow bottlenecks to improve crowd safety and infrastructure design.

PTV Vissim provides decision-makers with confidence

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PTV Vissim Insights Series

Join the PTV Vissim Insights Series and get exclusive access to hand picked, curated video content designed to deepen your microsimulation expertise.

Over three weeks, you’ll receive one email per week with carefully selected PTV Vissim videos, insights, and practical knowledge. Using real-world examples, PTV and industry experts will demonstrate powerful and practical applications of Vissim

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Customer webinars & best practices

Discover our library of customer webinars and explore how PTV Vissim users apply microsimulation in complex, real-world projects. In concise videos, they present their methodologies, challenges, and lessons learned from practice. Register once to gain access to the whole library. 

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Success Stories: Learn how our customers use PTV Vissim

Success story
Simulations Optimize Stations in Sao Paulo’s New Metro Line

Brazil's largest city uses PTV Vissim software to ensure good passenger flow and transfers on a new metro line with 1.3 million daily commuters.

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Success story
Pedestrian simulations at OPPO’s futuristic Shenzhen tower

Discover how Systematica used advanced pedestrian simulation to optimize circulation and user experience in OPPO’s futuristic new headquarters in Shenzhen, designed by Zaha Hadid Architects.

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Success story
Traffic Simulation for Luton Airport

Overcoming real-world complexities and delivering efficient, robust transportation solutions with PTV Vissim’s advanced simulation tools.

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