Urban services, pedestrian networks and behaviors to measure elderly accessibility

• Published in: Transportation research. Part D, Transport and environment Transport and environment, 2021-01, Vol.90, p.102687, Article 102687
• Main Authors: Gaglione, Federica, Cottrill, Caitlin, Gargiulo, Carmela
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Analytic Hierarchy Process; Elderly; GIS; Pedestrian networks; Urban accessibility
• ISSN: 1361-9209; 1879-2340
• DOI: 10.1016/j.trd.2020.102687

•The paper explores pedestrian accessibility of urban spaces to elderly populations.•A new method to measure accessibility is proposed using AHP in a GIS environment.•The method is tested in Naples, Italy and Aberdeen, Scotland.•Results obtained indicate the usefulness of the proposed approach to policy makers. Relationships between the organisation of the pedestrian network and the location and distribution of activities represent an important element in improving accessibility to urban services of interest to the elderly. This paper proposes a methodology aimed at defining a new measure of pedestrian accessibility for elderly. We first identify characteristics of the pedestrian network and built environment that may impact upon accessibility to elderly, and weight each feature using an AHP analysis. Walking behaviours are considered in terms of walking speed and travel times for elderly. Accessibility levels are derived referring to the system defined by the relationship between the characteristics of the pedestrian network, the offer of urban services and behaviours of elderly. This methodology has been tested in the urban contexts of Naples and Aberdeen. The results provide useful suggestions to decision makers in prioritising interventions to be implemented at the neighbourhood scale to improve the accessibility to urban services.