Seniors with Slow Walking Speeds in Mountainous Cities and the Effects of Built Environments:An Empirical Analysis Based on Multimodal Data

MOU Yanchuan; QIN Yu; NIU Shaofei; ZHANG Beimeng

doi:10.3969/j.issn.1000-0232.2025.10.004

Abstract：In recent years,there have been many studies concerning the effects of community environments on walking activities of the elderly.However,existing research mainly focuses on elderly individuals with independent mobility,devoting less attention to elderly populations with limited mobility.According to statistics,about 35％of individuals aged 70 and above experience mobility limitations.The current research bias results in a target-group deviation in the development of age-friendly environments.There is thus a pressing need to fill this research gap through targeted theoretical and practical studies. To this end,the present study centers on walking speed,one of the most commonly used indicators to evaluate the mobility of the elderly.Previous studies have shown that declining walking speed is significantly related with health issues,such as cognitive impairment,risk of falls,and ischemic stroke.A walking speed of 0.8 m/s is widely recognized as a critical threshold for defining mobility in the elderly.Speeds below 0.8 m/s are considered"slow walking,"which is significantly related to increased risks of disability and hospitalization.It is crucial to encourage the active participation of"Seniors with Slow Walking Speeds"(SWSS,defined as a walking speed＜0.8 m/s)in outdoor activities,because such activities are important ways for seniors to maintain their mobility,preserve independence,and delay functional decline.Mountainous cities with dense staircase systems and limited flat spaces make mobility even more challenging for elderly residents.Systematic identification of the environmental factors that influence the outdoor activities of SWSS in these cities therefore has important theoretical and practical significance for promoting age-friendly environmental reconstruction. The go-along interview method,which involves researchers accompanying participants during their movements while simultaneously collecting GPS data,behavioral observations,and semi-structured interview responses,offers a unique opportunity to capture real-time interactions between participants and their environments.In this study,60 SWSS were selected from Tuwan Community in Chongqing as respondents.Data on their outdoor activity trajectories,including audio transcripts and other details about individual-environment interactions,were systematically collected.The travel patterns of SWSS and the environmental factors influencing those patterns were thoroughly explored through spatial behavior analysis and text coding.The study results revealed several key findings.First,SWSS exhibit a significant demand for outdoor activities,highlighting the importance of developing age-friendly communities supporting outdoor activities.Second,the activities of SWSS are primarily oriented around daily maintenance needs,with a highly concentrated spatial scope:90％of respondents limited their traveled to within 400 meters of their residential areas.Finally,four core themes were identified from the environmental factor analysis:namely,topographic elevation differences,street environments,community service facilities,and traffic safety.Major mobility barriers for SWSS in mountainous cities included long flights of stairs,steep slopes,fast-moving objects(e.g.electric vehicles)on sidewalks,and the absence of cross-street guidance facilities.In contrast,accessible handrails,nearby vegetable markets and supermarkets,street-corner parks,and enough resting seats were identified as positive environmental attributes that enhance SWSS mobility. Based on these findings,key design points for SWSS-friendly environments in mountainous cities were proposed,clarifying the core directions and priorities for age-friendly renewal of outdoor spaces.Thanks to advances in the life sciences and medical technology,human life expectancy has increased greatly,and the population of the elderly with slow mobility is expanding.They have become an important part of the social structure.The present study,by disclosing the outdoor activity patterns of the elderly and influencing environmental factors,therefore has significant implications.It can inform planning and design interventions that will not only improve the safety of outdoor spaces for the elderly,but also play a vital role in reducing care burdens on families and society while alleviating long-term national financial pressures for healthcare.