All In The Mind Do people really behave differently in a crowd?
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May 24, 2025 Milad Haghani, Associate Professor in Urban Resilience & Mobility at the University of Melbourne, delves into the complexities of crowd behavior. He debunks myths surrounding panicky crowd instincts, revealing instances of compassion during crises. The discussion touches on effective strategies for crowd management, especially during large events like the Hajj and New Year’s Eve celebrations. Milad shares insights on improving evacuation efficiency through simple behavioral modifications and emphasizes the importance of shared identity in preventing disasters.
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London Bombings Show Crowd Cooperation
- During the 2005 London bombings, survivors helped each other instead of panicking.
- This contrasted the idea that people lose their minds in emergencies, showing crowd cooperation.
Hillsborough Disaster: Mismanaged Crowd
- The Hillsborough disaster killed 97 due to police pens that trapped fans.
- Mismanagement focused on controlling hooliganism caused the crush and fatalities.
Itaewon Crush: Planning Failures
- The 2022 Itaewon crowd crush was caused by poor police planning, not panic contagion.
- Anxiety was a result, not cause, of the physical situation and crowd dynamics.
