## 4 Research Methodology  
This paper defines a research method based on known rules and methods of scientific knowledge, i.e., on methods of data collection and database formation, methods of analysis, synthesis, induction, generalization, classification, description and statistical and mathematical methods. Figure 1 shows the diagram which describes the complete research flow by phases. As part of the conducted research, a database was formed, containing collected data from several locations with previously built shopping centres that are in operation, which generate additional flow requirements on the surrounding street network on a daily basis. The survey was conducted in several medium-sized towns in two countries of the Southeast Europe region (the Republic of Serbia and Bosnia and Herzegovina). The research included the collection of data on the basic characteristics of the observed shopping centres, as well as the characteristics of the environment in which they are located. Given the complexity of the research, which required the engagement of significant human and financial resources, in addition to their own research, available statistical data related to the demographic and socioeconomic characteristics of the towns in which the research was conducted were used. The shopping centres that were the subject of research are not equipped with modern ITS systems for the detection of vehicles, pedestrians, and cyclists, so the traffic demand was determined by counting and recording in pre-prepared sheets. All surveys were conducted on a working day. Modern ITS technologies enable the formation of traffic demand databases for any period. The basic parameters used in this paper, required to determine the volume of traffic that will be generated by the construction of shopping centre facilities in a town, and thus determine its impact on the traffic conditions of the surrounding road and street network, are the number of inhabitants of the town, the number of households, the degree of motorization, the position of the facility in the town (whether they are located in the urban part of the town or suburbs-distance from the centre), the size of the facilities (total surface sales area), the number of stores, their content and the number of available parking spaces. All these parameters were obtained by local measurements at selected locations and by collecting known statistics. For the purposes of the research, medium-sized towns (from 50-200 thousand inhabitants) were selected from the entire territory of the Republic of Serbia and Bosnia and Herzegovina with different numbers of inhabitants, in different locations of built shopping centres in terms of their position (in the urban part of the town or city, or in the suburbs). In addition to the data that were publicly available, the collection of data on the analyzed parameters was performed by the method of counting and on-site measurements at all selected locations within the survey area. The counting was carried out with the aim of determining the specific characteristics of each of the selected locations in terms of the traffic generation rate through the number of arrivals and departures to the observed locations by passenger vehicles at 15 min intervals during the day, the number of users of the shopping centre services in accordance with the number of passengers in the vehicles and the degree of occupancy of the parking space. For each location, the available number of parking spaces and the size of the facility were determined, i.e., the total area of the sales area and the number of stores. Counts and measurements at selected locations were performed for two days, in May 2021, on May 20  
Figure 1: Diagram of the research flow. and 27 (Thursday), throughout the day, i.e., during the opening hours of shopping centres. In accordance with opening hours, for one part of the shopping centres, the research was carried out in the period from 09:00 to 21:00, and for the other part from 10:00 to 22:00.