Assessing and Qualifying Neighborhood Walkability for Older Adults: Construction and Initial Testing of a Multivariate Spatial Accessibility Model

Abstract

Population aging and urban development pose major challenges for societies today. Joining the literature assessing urban accessibility, the present exploratory research developed a multivariate accessibility model based on four independent variables-related to formal and structural urban space-that influence walkability for older adults (pedestrian network; facilities and shops; public benches; and slopes and gradients). The model used ArcGIS software. For the accessibility calculations, we selected two suburban neighborhoods in the conurbation of Grenoble (France) and selected three types of older adults' profiles to reflect the variety of aging: an older adult in good health, an older adult with a chronic disease, and an older adult with reduced mobility. The results suggest that the accessibility of a neighborhood depends not only on its physical and urban characteristics, but it is also influenced by the physical and health characteristics of its inhabitants. The originality of the model lies mainly in its ability to estimate the spatial accessibility of a territory by taking into account, firstly, objective data such as the physical characteristics and the built environment of the neighborhood through objectification variables that consider such original variables as the presence of benches or the slopes and gradients and, secondly, specific data such as the physical and/or health characteristics of the study population. The measurement of geospatial accessibility could be of great value for public health in urban contexts, which is why relevant tools and methodologies are needed to objectively examine and intervene in public spaces in order to make them age-friendly.

Keywords: accessibility; geographic information systems; older adults; spatial accessibility model; walking.

Figure 1

Location of the study areas. Maps created by the authors with ArcGIS 10.4 (https://www.esri.com/en-us/home, accessed on: 23 July 2021). Background image: Esri, OpenStreetMap.

Figure 2

Analysis variables for calculating accessibility by neighborhood. Maps created by the authors with ArcGIS 10.4.

Figure 3

Gradients. (a) Representation of the statutory and tolerated gradients according to France’s accessibility regulations. (b) Modeling gradients in percent. Maps created by the authors with ArcGIS 10.4.

Figure 4

Service areas for “services and facilities” and “benches”. Maps created by the authors with ArcGIS 10.4 and its Network Analyst extension (https://www.esri.com/fr-fr/store/extensions/arcgis-network-analyst, accessed on 23 July 2021).

Figure 5

Potential accessibility by neighborhood and by older adult profile: healthy (a,d), with a chronic disease (b,e), and with reduced mobility (c,f), respectively. Maps created by the authors with ArcGIS 10.4.