Spatial Analysis Framework for Age-Restricted Communities Integrating Spatial Distribution and Accessibility Evaluation

Abstract

The rapid growth of the older-adult segment of the population has a profound effect on urban development and the fulfillment of housing needs. The location of age-restricted communities that serve older adults aged 65 or older can influence accessibility to goods and services and further affect the health and quality of life of seniors. However, few quantitative indicators are available to judge whether the accessibility between these communities and neighboring facilities is appropriate. Therefore, this study presents a spatial analysis framework for age-restricted communities from a regional-local perspective. The regional analysis explores the spatial distribution of age-restricted communities, while the local analysis involves the accessibility measure of these communities to necessary neighboring facilities by type, age-friendly community identification, and a comprehensive accessibility evaluation. This framework is then applied to investigate three types of age-restricted communities in Edmonton, Canada. The results indicate that age-restricted communities are predominantly located centrally in the city, while population aging is not of a high degree in all of these neighborhoods. Some communities are regarded as friendly to older adults, but, excluding nearby bus stops and emergency medical services (EMS) stations, the options for different amenities among these communities are not diverse. The elderly in independent living communities tend to have better access to necessary neighboring facilities. The proposed methodology can be used for accessibility analysis of age-restricted communities for different stakeholders and can also lead to existing and proposed improvements to enhance age-friendliness in neighborhood design.