Speaker
Description
The global trend of population aging is accelerating. The United Nations predicts that by 2050, individuals aged 60 and above will account for 22% of the global population. In China, as of 2018, the population aged 60 and above was approximately 178 million, the number of people with disabilities was about 85 million, and the low-income population reached around 282 million. These three groups together accounted for 39.6% of the total population, facing numerous barriers in urban walkability and public transportation accessibility.
To improve the quality of life in the local community, Shanghai implemented the 15-minute community life circle initiative, equipping each local community with a list of service facilities. However, due to various physical barriers in the local community, will this initiative benefit individuals with disabilities and people with physical mobility constraints?
Existing research has already recognized the heterogeneity among older adults, highlighting factors such as age, economic status, social and family support, and different types of physical, sensory, and cognitive impairments, as well as the influence of built environment elements in their residential areas. However, qualitative studies indicate that (1) varying degrees of mobility impediments or disability severity exert more direct constraints on travel frequency and mode captivity; and (2) beyond facilities within walkable distances, there are still physical barriers for them to access the service—such as sidewalk smoothness and accessible elevators. These two points urgently require greater attention when investigating the travel behavior of vulnerable populations.
The survey data from 1,049 respondents in Shanghai show that 59% of them reported mobility difficulties; this study incorporates “mobility limitation” as a grouping dimension. It includes self-reported mobility impediments and degrees of mobility impediments, such as the use of crutches, wheelchairs, or medication. The built environment factors were calculated based on a reduced range of their walking in 15 minutes. Logistic regression, ordinal logistic regression, and Poisson regression were applied to analyze the difference.
The results show that, after accounting for “mobility limitation” category, the overall travel frequency for the group with travel difficulties declines significantly, their travel largely centered on utilitarian daily shopping, personal affairs, and medical visits. Meanwhile, the influence of general built environment factors—such as facility density and public transportation accessibility—is much weaker for this group compared to healthier individuals.
This analysis highlights the necessity of separately identifying and addressing mobility-restricted elderly groups in urban renewal, transportation planning, and travel behavior studies to avoid their needs being overshadowed by those of healthier elderly groups. For this population, research priorities should shift from conventional built environment optimization to the enhancement of micro-level barrier-free environments and universal design.
| Keywords | mobility limitation, mobility impediments, mobility-impaired older adults, neighborhood built environment |
|---|---|
| Best Congress Paper Award | Yes |
