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An Application of the Walkability Index for Elderly Health—WIEH. The Case of the UNESCO Historic Centre of Porto, Portugal

Author

Listed:
  • Fernando Alves

    (Research Centre for the Territory, Transports and Environment, Faculty of Engineering, University of Porto, 4200-465 Porto, Portugal)

  • Sara Cruz

    (Research Centre for the Territory, Transports and Environment, Faculty of Engineering, University of Porto, 4200-465 Porto, Portugal)

  • Sophia Rother

    (Fachhochschule Erfurt, 99085 Erfurt, Germany)

  • Tino Strunk

    (Fachhochschule Erfurt, 99085 Erfurt, Germany)

Abstract

This work provides a follow-up to the article Walkability Index for Elderly Health: A Proposal, published in 2020. Previous research linked the quality of public spaces, walkability characteristics relevant to older people, and the direct health benefits of walking for the same target group. The present article, on the other hand, aims to validate the conceptual design of the walkability index for elderly health (WIEH), developed by the authors in the previous study, by applying it to a study area located in the historic center of Porto, Portugal. Therefore, public spaces and the pedestrian network are analyzed according to their suitability for older people’s walkability. Presented in a visual format, the results show that only a few paths within the study area were strongly suited to older people, and emphasize the impact of existing steep slopes on the quality of the pedestrian network.

Suggested Citation

  • Fernando Alves & Sara Cruz & Sophia Rother & Tino Strunk, 2021. "An Application of the Walkability Index for Elderly Health—WIEH. The Case of the UNESCO Historic Centre of Porto, Portugal," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(9), pages 1-18, April.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:13:y:2021:i:9:p:4869-:d:543954
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Fernando Alves & Sara Cruz & Anabela Ribeiro & Ana Bastos Silva & João Martins & Inês Cunha, 2020. "Walkability Index for Elderly Health: A Proposal," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 12(18), pages 1-27, September.
    2. Beverly J. Bass & Margaret Livingston, 2019. "Automotive retrofits in historic city centres and their potential effects on their walkability: a comparison of San Luis Obispo, CA, USA and Bath, England, UK," Journal of Urban Design, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 24(2), pages 290-304, March.
    3. Fritz Akhmad NUZIR & Bart Julien DEWANCKER, 2016. "Redefining Place For Walking: A Literature Review And Key-Elements Conception," Theoretical and Empirical Researches in Urban Management, Research Centre in Public Administration and Public Services, Bucharest, Romania, vol. 11(1), pages 56-76, February.
    4. Antonio Menor-Campos & Jesús Claudio Pérez-Gálvez & Amalia Hidalgo-Fernández & Tomás López-Guzmán, 2020. "Foreign Tourists in World Heritage Sites: A Motivation-Based Segmentation," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 12(8), pages 1-15, April.
    5. Auttapone Karndacharuk & Douglas J. Wilson & Roger Dunn, 2014. "A Review of the Evolution of Shared (Street) Space Concepts in Urban Environments," Transport Reviews, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 34(2), pages 190-220, March.
    6. Kaniz Fatima & Sara Moridpour & Chris De Gruyter & Tayebeh Saghapour, 2020. "Elderly Sustainable Mobility: Scientific Paper Review," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 12(18), pages 1-17, September.
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    Cited by:

    1. Kaniz Fatima & Sara Moridpour & Tayebeh Saghapour, 2022. "Measuring Neighbourhood Walking Access for Older Adults," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(20), pages 1-21, October.
    2. Fernando Fonseca & Escolástica Fernandes & Rui Ramos, 2022. "Walkable Cities: Using the Smart Pedestrian Net Method for Evaluating a Pedestrian Network in Guimarães, Portugal," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(16), pages 1-23, August.
    3. Enrico Porfido & Cynthia Pérez & Pablo Martínez & Beatriz Puértolas-Gracia & Aida Ribera & Laura Mónica Pérez, 2025. "Assessing Older Adults’ Walkability in the Surroundings of Primary Care Centers: A Three-Case Study from Barcelona," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 17(15), pages 1-20, July.
    4. Daniella do Amaral Mello Bonatto & Fernando Brandão Alves, 2022. "Application of Walkability Index for Older Adults’ Health in the Brazilian Context: The Case of Vitória-ES, Brazil," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(3), pages 1-25, January.

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