Relationship between outdoor walking path preferences and street environment of older adults in a suburban area

Abstract

This study aimed to understand the relationship between walking path preferences and street characteristics of older adults who live in suburban areas. Physical inactivity is more prevalent in developed countries because trends in urban design and built environments over the past several decades have led to car-oriented suburban development. Compared to urban areas, suburban areas have different characteristics, including limited traffic, a high rate of aging, low floor area ratios, and low building heights. We measured the spontaneous walking path of 30 older adults for two months using GPS loggers and calculated the Walk Score, Green View Index (GVI), Sky View Ratio (SVR), and the existence of the sidewalk. Participants who walked ≥ 1 km on ≥ 20 days during the 2-month experiment were classified as the active group, whereas others were classified as the inactive group. The results showed that the active group preferred the path with a significantly higher GVI, whereas the inactive group preferred the path with a significantly higher Walk Score. In addition, there was a positive correlation between walking distance and both GVI and SVR. The findings have important implications for urban planners seeking to create a supportive environment that promotes outdoor walking activity.