IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/gam/jsusta/v15y2023i24p16858-d1300385.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Neighborhoods’ Walkability for Elderly People: An Italian Experience

Author

Listed:
  • Letizia Appolloni

    (Department of Civil Building Environmental Engineering, Sapienza University of Rome, 00184 Rome, Italy)

  • Daniela D’Alessandro

    (Department of Civil Building Environmental Engineering, Sapienza University of Rome, 00184 Rome, Italy)

Abstract

The scientific literature shows some attributes of neighborhood built environments that can contribute to promoting physical activity, thereby encouraging older adults to take outdoor walks. The aim of this study was to measure the walkability of 20 neighborhoods in five Italian cities using the Walking Suitability Index of the Territory (T-WSI) to evaluate their propensity to support walking for elderly people and to suggest some specific good practices to local authorities. Our investigation shows that although the neighborhoods present very different physical and morphological characteristics, most of their walkability levels are low. The overall T-WSI value is equal to 46.65/100, with a wide variability between districts (from 28.90/100 to 68.28/100). The calculation of the T-WSI shows that the problems and critical issues are similar between districts, independent of their sizes, and they refer mainly to the same categories and indicators. In general, the results relating to both the safety (e.g., protection from vehicles, road lighting, etc.) and urbanity (e.g., road equipment) of districts are very deficient.

Suggested Citation

  • Letizia Appolloni & Daniela D’Alessandro, 2023. "Neighborhoods’ Walkability for Elderly People: An Italian Experience," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 15(24), pages 1-22, December.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:15:y:2023:i:24:p:16858-:d:1300385
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/2071-1050/15/24/16858/pdf
    Download Restriction: no
    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/2071-1050/15/24/16858/
    Download Restriction: no
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Saelens, B.E. & Sallis, J.F. & Black, J.B. & Chen, D., 2003. "Neighborhood-Based Differences in Physical Activity: An Environment Scale Evaluation," American Journal of Public Health, American Public Health Association, vol. 93(9), pages 1552-1558.
    2. Hiroyuki Kikuchi & Tomoki Nakaya & Tomoya Hanibuchi & Noritoshi Fukushima & Shiho Amagasa & Koichiro Oka & James F. Sallis & Shigeru Inoue, 2018. "Objectively Measured Neighborhood Walkability and Change in Physical Activity in Older Japanese Adults: A Five-Year Cohort Study," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 15(9), pages 1-14, August.
    3. Suzanne Mavoa & Nasser Bagheri & Mohammad Javad Koohsari & Andrew T. Kaczynski & Karen E. Lamb & Koichiro Oka & David O’Sullivan & Karen Witten, 2019. "How Do Neighbourhood Definitions Influence the Associations between Built Environment and Physical Activity?," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 16(9), pages 1-16, April.
    4. Yung Liao & Chien-Yu Lin & Ting-Fu Lai & Yen-Ju Chen & Bohyeon Kim & Jong-Hwan Park, 2019. "Walk Score ® and Its Associations with Older Adults’ Health Behaviors and Outcomes," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 16(4), pages 1-12, February.
    5. Razieh Zandieh & Javier Martinez & Johannes Flacke & Phil Jones & Martin Van Maarseveen, 2016. "Older Adults’ Outdoor Walking: Inequalities in Neighbourhood Safety, Pedestrian Infrastructure and Aesthetics," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 13(12), pages 1-24, November.
    6. Erja Portegijs & Kirsi E. Keskinen & Li-Tang Tsai & Taina Rantanen & Merja Rantakokko, 2017. "Physical Limitations, Walkability, Perceived Environmental Facilitators and Physical Activity of Older Adults in Finland," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 14(3), pages 1-14, March.
    7. Berke, E.M. & Koepsell, T.D. & Moudon, A.V. & Hoskins, R.E. & Larson, E.B., 2007. "Association of the built environment with physical activity and obesity in older persons," American Journal of Public Health, American Public Health Association, vol. 97(3), pages 486-492.
    8. Daniela D’Alessandro & Diego Valeri & Letizia Appolloni, 2020. "Reliability of T-WSI to Evaluate Neighborhoods Walkability and Its Changes over Time," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 17(21), pages 1-16, October.
    9. Michael, Y.L. & Perdue, L.A. & Orwoll, E.S. & Stefanick, M.L. & Marshall, L.M., 2010. "Physical activity resources and changes in walking in a cohort of older men," American Journal of Public Health, American Public Health Association, vol. 100(4), pages 654-660.
    10. Wennberg, Hanna & Hydén, Christer & Ståhl, Agneta, 2010. "Barrier-free outdoor environments: Older peoples' perceptions before and after implementation of legislative directives," Transport Policy, Elsevier, vol. 17(6), pages 464-474, November.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Guillem Artigues & Sara Mateo & Maria Ramos & Elena Cabeza, 2020. "Validation of the Urban Walkability Perception Questionnaire (UWPQ) in the Balearic Islands," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 17(18), pages 1-16, September.
    2. Neatt, Kevin & Millward, Hugh & Spinney, Jamie, 2017. "Neighborhood walking densities: A multivariate analysis in Halifax, Canada," Journal of Transport Geography, Elsevier, vol. 61(C), pages 9-16.
    3. Razieh Zandieh & Javier Martinez & Johannes Flacke, 2019. "Older Adults’ Outdoor Walking and Inequalities in Neighbourhood Green Spaces Characteristics," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 16(22), pages 1-18, November.
    4. Yuanying Li & Hiroshi Yatsuya & Tomoya Hanibuchi & Atsuhiko Ota & Hisao Naito & Rei Otsuka & Chiyoe Murata & Yoshihisa Hirakawa & Chifa Chiang & Mayu Uemura & Koji Tamakoshi & Atsuko Aoyama, 2020. "Positive Association of Physical Activity with Both Objective and Perceived Measures of the Neighborhood Environment among Older Adults: The Aichi Workers’ Cohort Study," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 17(21), pages 1-14, October.
    5. Tashi Dendup & Xiaoqi Feng & Stephanie Clingan & Thomas Astell-Burt, 2018. "Environmental Risk Factors for Developing Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus: A Systematic Review," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 15(1), pages 1-25, January.
    6. Kenta Okuyama & Takafumi Abe & Xinjun Li & Yuta Toyama & Kristina Sundquist & Toru Nabika, 2021. "Neighborhood Environmental Factors and Physical Activity Status among Rural Older Adults in Japan," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 18(4), pages 1-13, February.
    7. Christopher Zegras & Jae Seung Lee & Eran Ben-Joseph, 2012. "By Community or Design? Age-restricted Neighbourhoods, Physical Design and Baby Boomers’ Local Travel Behaviour in Suburban Boston, US," Urban Studies, Urban Studies Journal Limited, vol. 49(10), pages 2169-2198, August.
    8. Razieh Zandieh & Johannes Flacke & Javier Martinez & Phil Jones & Martin Van Maarseveen, 2017. "Do Inequalities in Neighborhood Walkability Drive Disparities in Older Adults’ Outdoor Walking?," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 14(7), pages 1-22, July.
    9. Dan Li & Haiyun Xu & Yue Kang & Koen Steemers, 2023. "Systematic Review: Landscape Characteristics Correlated with Physical Activity of the Elderly People," Land, MDPI, vol. 12(3), pages 1-18, March.
    10. Yufang Zhang & Terry van Dijk & Cor Wagenaar, 2022. "How the Built Environment Promotes Residents’ Physical Activity: The Importance of a Holistic People-Centered Perspective," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(9), pages 1-19, May.
    11. Kimihiro Hino & Hiroyuki Usui & Masamichi Hanazato, 2020. "Three-Year Longitudinal Association Between Built Environmental Factors and Decline in Older Adults’ Step Count: Gaining insights for Age-Friendly Urban Planning and Design," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 17(12), pages 1-11, June.
    12. Yi Zhang & Yuan Li & Qixing Liu & Chaoyang Li, 2014. "The Built Environment and Walking Activity of the Elderly: An Empirical Analysis in the Zhongshan Metropolitan Area, China," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 6(2), pages 1-17, February.
    13. Bojing Liao & Pauline E. W. van den Berg & Pieter J. V. van Wesemael & Theo A. Arentze, 2020. "How Does Walkability Change Behavior? A Comparison between Different Age Groups in the Netherlands," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 17(2), pages 1-14, January.
    14. Hae Young Yun, 2019. "Environmental Factors Associated with Older Adult’s Walking Behaviors: A Systematic Review of Quantitative Studies," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 11(12), pages 1-45, June.
    15. Nuan-Ching Huang & Shiann-Far Kung & Susan C. Hu, 2018. "The Relationship between Urbanization, the Built Environment, and Physical Activity among Older Adults in Taiwan," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 15(5), pages 1-20, April.
    16. Anura Amarasinghe & Gerard D'Souza & Cheryl Brown & Tatiana Borisova, 2006. "A Spatial Analysis of Obesity in West Virginia," Working Papers Working Paper 2006-13, Regional Research Institute, West Virginia University.
    17. Spielman, Seth E. & Yoo, Eun-hye, 2009. "The spatial dimensions of neighborhood effects," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 68(6), pages 1098-1105, March.
    18. Kevin Credit & Elizabeth Mack, 2019. "Place-making and performance: The impact of walkable built environments on business performance in Phoenix and Boston," Environment and Planning B, , vol. 46(2), pages 264-285, February.
    19. Mi Namgung & B. Elizabeth Mercado Gonzalez & Seungwoo Park, 2019. "The Role of Built Environment on Health of Older Adults in Korea: Obesity and Gender Differences," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 16(18), pages 1-13, September.
    20. Amber L. Pearson & Victoria Breeze & Aaron Reuben & Gwen Wyatt, 2021. "Increased Use of Porch or Backyard Nature during COVID-19 Associated with Lower Stress and Better Symptom Experience among Breast Cancer Patients," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 18(17), pages 1-13, August.

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:15:y:2023:i:24:p:16858-:d:1300385. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: MDPI Indexing Manager (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://www.mdpi.com .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.