Transport

Supporting on-going mobility is critical to older people remaining engaged with the world around them. Highly walkable communities support a Healthy Active Ageing population and providing safe, accessible movement networks is essential to an age-friendly community. Universally accessible paths that support pedestrian, scooter, mobility devices and bicycle movements allow the older population to remain engaged with their community and support an enhanced level of autonomy and independence. Public transport options should be convenient, affordable and safe, and integrated into a universally accessible network of footpaths.

Importance of supporting mobility

The ability to be mobile is fundamental for Healthy Active Ageing. Mobility refers to all forms of movement, including walking and public or private transport [96]. As people age and their abilities decline, adapting the environment to enhance functional capacity around mobility has a significant impact on their wellbeing and independence [119]. For example, assistive devices, such as wheelchairs, can help people move within their home and be mobile within the broader community [94]. Providing universally accessible movement networks that support pedestrians, scooters, mobility devices and bicycle movement can also help older people remain active, connected and independent [121]. This also includes the provision of public transport that is affordable, frequent, safe and adaptive to the needs of older adults [64] [80].

Access to transport and personal mobility are key physical determinants of age-friendly communities that impact older people’s wellbeing and independence through social and civic participation and access to community and health services [68] [97].

Importance of public transport

A variety of transport options (walking, cycling and public transport) connecting key destinations is critical for the creation of age-friendly cities [83] [93]. In places where the public transport service is inadequate, or when seniors have special mobility needs or can no longer drive, alternative transport options, such as on-demand buses or paratransit, help seniors remain active and connected within the community [72].

Supporting independent modes of transport

Independence and a sense of agency are important to older people. Helping older drivers to extend safe driving mobility through education, training and providing assistive technologies where necessary is also important, as is support with finding alternative transport options when they can no longer drive safely [70]. The built environment should be designed to support active transport options (pedestrian, cycling and public transport) and contribute to increased levels of independence once safe driving is no longer available to an individual.

Safety and its impact on independent movement

Older people's mobility and levels of physical activity are influenced by land-use patterns that determine the accessibility and connectivity of the environment as well as aesthetics [94]. Perceptions of safety is a key factor that determines older people’s decisions about mobility [121]. Safety outcomes are positively influenced by adopting crime prevention through environmental design approach, supporting passive surveillance outcomes, and ensuring universally accessible routes between destinations [105]. By merely providing well-maintained paths, older people are more likely to engage in an activity such as walking.

Providing walkable communities

Walkable communities support a Healthy Active Ageing population. For older adults, walkability issues, such as the quality of footpaths, perceptions of safety, and adequate road crossings, must be addressed [105].

As outlined in the Heart Foundation's Does Density Matter? report, the density of urban developments is a significant factor influencing physical activity. Higher density creates nearness to destinations and underpins walkable neighbourhoods, which promote physical activity across the life course [105]. Research shows that land use and density impacts older adults’ participation in walking and bicycling (for leisure and transportation), indicating different environments promoted different activities [61]. People make more walking trips in more highly urbanised areas and use their bicycles more in less urbanised areas. In highly urbanised neighbourhoods with a low percentage of recreational and green spaces, older adults were more physically inactive. In certain cases, compact high-density neighbourhoods have poor physical activity outcomes for older adults. 'Density done well', which takes into account a good mix of land uses, including recreational spaces and safety concerns, promotes greater physical activity in older adults [105].

Spatial planning and the interface between land use, housing and transport, were identified as the main leverage points to deliver age-friendly environments [3]. Creating a more compact urban form and consolidating age-friendly housing to capitalise on the existing services and facilities along transit corridors is critical to creating age-friendly places. This calls for a paradigm shift in how the urban spaces are developed and directly challenges the business-as-usual approach to urban sprawl [13] [52].

For more information about how planning can support the best possible transport outcomes for active ageing, see the HAbD Movement Networks feature.