Beyond exits and doorways, what less obvious environmental element could serve as a viable escape route in a crowded urban environment?

Beyond exits and doorways, a less obvious environmental element that could serve as a viable escape route in a crowded urban environment is utilizing the 'flow of pedestrian traffic moving in a perpendicular direction'. Rather than attempting to fight against the crowd, identify a large group of people moving across your path (e.g., crossing a street at a crosswalk, exiting a building) and move decisively into that flow. This allows you to use the momentum and density of the crowd to create separation between yourself and the potential threat, effectively 'disappearing' within the larger group and making pursuit more difficult. This tactic relies on using the environment to your advantage rather than trying to overcome it through brute force.