Perspective of Senior Citizens Regarding Intersectional Equity on Walkability

Abstract

Walkability is a measure of how well a built environment can support its pedestrian activities. The variables that affect walkability can be grouped into safety, security, convenience, and attractiveness of pedestrian facilities. There have been many studies that proposed variables and methods of measuring walkability. However, these studies tend to only see the objective values of pedestrian facilities and did not consider the subjective view of the pedestrians. Age as a factor of intersectionality may affect senior citizens’ view on walkability. Senior citizens are at a disadvantage when walking due to their mobility issues related to old age. In this study, 392 senior citizens were asked to rate different variables that affect walkability. Their rating is then analyzed using Random Forest Classifier to see which variables are better to predict their willingness to walk. This study finds that adequate lighting, evenness of pedestrian walks, travel time to nearest recreational facilities, availability of benches or other resting space, presence of family or friends during walks, presence of security officer, availability of pedestrian walks, and availability of social activities and gatherings are walkability variables that are positively associated with senior citizens’ willingness to walk.