Aging in Activity Spaces: How Does Individual Accessibility Compare across Age Cohorts?

Abstract

The proportion of individuals age sixty-five and over is growing at an astronomical rate in the United States, and some estimate that this demographic age group will double by the year 2025. Older adults and adults nearing retirement age tend to reside in suburban neighborhoods and rely heavily on personal vehicles. This study uses travel diary data on automobile trips to construct activity spaces to explore whether or not travel patterns across age groups result in differential access to particular goods and services in the Orlando Metropolitan Statistical Area (MSA). Using an approach based on time geographic density estimation, this research identifies activity spaces across different age cohorts to identify differences in the automobility of different age groups. Results indicate that the geographic dispersion of activities with the Orlando MSA currently favors younger adults. Adults age fifty to sixty-four had the lowest accessibility scores compared to other age cohorts. If this preretirement group has poor access now, holding other effects constant, their access might only get worse as they get older and stop commuting. Transportation is an important consideration in planning for aging populations, and analyzing differences in how older adults travel compared to their younger counterparts can offer insight into the diverse needs of this group. Key Words: accessibility, aging populations, mobility, time geography, transportation.