A candidate position selector determines locations for M candidate positions along pathways within an area defining potential routes for moving objects within the area. A coverage rate calculator calculates a coverage rate for a device layout of N media capture devices among the M candidate positions, including calculating the coverage rate as a ratio of the moving objects captured by the N media capture devices in the device layout to a total number of the moving objects in the area within a defined period of time. A layout selector iteratively tests different device layouts of the N media capture devices among the M candidate positions, based on corresponding coverage rates calculated by the coverage rate calculator for each tested device layout, until a termination condition is reached and a final device layout of the tested device layouts is selected.