This article investigates living arrangement preferences of elderly people in Taiwan, including coresidence with family (their children or spouse), coresidence with spouse only, living alone, and living in an institution. The authors consider the effects of three factors: the elderly persons' health situation, their family resources, and their social participation, such as community workshops or political activities. Accordingly, the authors propose empirical logit models based on the well-developed discrete choice theory. Empirical results reveal that (1) elderly people with higher socioeconomic status, prefer either independent living arrangements or coresidence with their children, (2) elderly people with more family resources, such as large family size, prefer to coreside with their children, and (3) elderly people with adequate social support and/or contact networks prefer independent living arrangements.

Mobility barriers can impede physical activity, increase the fear of falling, and pose a threat to the ability of older adults to live independently. This study investigated outdoor mobility barriers within a nonretirement public housing community located in Tainan, Taiwan. Site observations and interviews with older adult residents determined that parked motor scooters, potted plants, the rubber tiles of play areas, and a set of steps were the most important barriers. In addition, the space syntax parameters of control value and mean depth were effectively able to quantitatively measure improvements in walkability resulting from the hypothesized removal of these four barriers. These measures of improved walkability can be included in a cost-benefit analysis of spatial improvement factors to help policymakers address the mobility and accessibility needs of older adults.