Crowds

A crowd is a temporary aggregation of people gathered in the same place, often in a public or semi-public setting such as streets, stadiums, or squares. Crowds differ from audiences, which are composed of people assembled for a defined performance, and from broader populations that are not densely concentrated.

Scholars classify crowds into several types. Casual crowds arise spontaneously and have no fixed purpose; conventional crowds gather for planned events such as parades or ceremonies; acting crowds are motivated by a specific objective or emotion, such as a protest or a celebration; expressive or violent crowds may exhibit heightened arousal.

Crowd behavior emerges from interactions among individuals and is influenced by social cues, anonymity, and the diffusion of responsibility. Early theories, such as Gustave Le Bon’s crowd psychology, described crowds as irrational, while later work emphasizes social identity, deindividuation, and polarization as factors shaping collective actions.

Safety and management concern crowd density, movement, and egress. High density increases the risk of trampling and crush injuries, while panic can impede orderly evacuation. Planning typically includes capacity controls, barriers, trained stewards, clear signage, crowd monitoring, and coordinated emergency communication.

Crowds are studied across sociology, psychology, urban planning, and event management, with implications for public safety, urban design, and large-scale events.