Poster
STREETS FOR EVERYONE AT EVERY AGE: EXAMINING COMPLETE STREETS POLICY LANGUAGE FOR OLDER ADULT USERS
The gerontologist, Vol.56(Suppl_3), pp.164-165
Nov 2016
Abstract
The Surgeon General’s Call to Action, “Step it Up!,” made walking a national priority and established the goal to “design communities that make it safe and easy to walk for people of all ages and abilities.” Smart Growth America’s Complete Streets movement addresses this, asserting “Complete Streets are…designed and operated to enable safe access for all users, including pedestrians, bicyclists, motorists, and transit riders, of all ages and abilities.” While over 800 Complete Streets policies have been passed in the United States, we lack information on the inclusion of older adult users in these policies. Specifically: 1) How many Complete Streets policies explicitly mention older adults?; 2) What specific language is used about older adults within these Complete Streets policies? We identified jurisdictions nationwide that include older adults as users or potential beneficiaries of complete streets projects. We then analyzed the specific language addressing older adults within complete streets policies. In preliminary analyses, approximately 23% of policies mentioned older adult users in the preamble or main policy document. Language varied across policies, ranging from “a Complete Streets policy considers the needs of all users of our roadways of all ages and abilities including…seniors” (Chautauqua County, NY) to “transportation choice and accessibility are issues of social equity as…the elderly are disproportionate among those with limited transportation choices” (Fort Myers, FL). Ultimately, this project informs public health practitioners, transportation or land use planners, and advocacy groups as they move forward promoting, crafting, and enacting Complete Streets policies that accommodate our aging population.
Metrics
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Details
- Title
- STREETS FOR EVERYONE AT EVERY AGE: EXAMINING COMPLETE STREETS POLICY LANGUAGE FOR OLDER ADULT USERS
- Creators
- Jana A Hirsch - Drexel University, Epidemiology and BiostatisticsE Thrun - University of Illinois at ChicagoJamie F. Chriqui - University of Illinois at Chicago
- Publication Details
- The gerontologist, Vol.56(Suppl_3), pp.164-165
- Conference
- 2016 GSA Annual Scientific Meeting (New Orleans, Louisiana, United States, 16 Nov 2016–20 Nov 2016)
- Publisher
- The Gerontological Society of America
- Number of pages
- 2
- Resource Type
- Poster
- Language
- English
- Academic Unit
- Epidemiology and Biostatistics; Urban Health Collaborative
- Identifiers
- 991022018407404721
InCites Highlights
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- Collaboration types
- Domestic collaboration
- Web of Science research areas
- Gerontology