|
Abstract
|
BACKGROUND: Walking improves people's physical activity, cognitive function, and social interaction. All neighborhoods are not walkable in the same way or in the same quality. Various measures exist, of which a commonly used one is Walk Score which measures walkability by considering what destinations are within walking distance along with intersection density. Different age groups have different needs in terms of destinations, and some walk more than others. Adults may be more interested in cafes than children, but children often walk to their primary destination (school), which is local or accessible by public transit. This study examines: What age groups are actually walking more in different neighborhoods (with differing Walk Scores)? Is Walk Score a reasonable measure to explain differences in walk trips for different age groups?
Methods: Using the Montreal Origin-Destination (2018), we examined walking rates in Montreal Island boroughs with two measures: 1) only walking trips versus all other trips; 2) modes that include physical activity (walking, cycling, and public transport) versus all others. The following age groups were examined: 6-12 (elementary school), 13-16 (secondary school), 17-29 (young adults), 30-44, 45-60, and older than 60. By these categories, we identified which boroughs have the highest active and non-active travel modes' rates for each age group. Binary logistic regression was done for each age group to examine whether Walk Score was statistically related to each age groups' travel modes and to what extent.
Results: The young children age group (6-12) were the most likely age group to walk in all neighborhoods. The highest rates of walking were around 50% of all trips by young children in a number of neighborhoods. The average Walk Score for the children of these neighborhoods is between 71 and 92. This age group could be considered as the "pure walkers" and the main walking destinations are related to returning home or going to school.
RESULTS also show that the age group 45-60 and more than 60 have the lowest walking rate, with the average Walk Score of 32 and 42. The regression analysis results also reflected that while Walk Score is significant for all of the age groups, the coefficient of Walk Score is higher for adult age groups.
Conclusions: Using Walk Score data for adult age groups, it was confirmed that adults are more likely to walk than children. Moreover, destinations that better reflect different age group needs might need to be investigated.
Language: en |