Full Citation

Title: Aging in Activity Spaces: Understanding the Automobility of Aging Populations

Citation Type: Dissertation/Thesis

Publication Year: 2017

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Abstract: The proportion of individuals aged 65 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. Aging adults are primarily dependent on the personal automobile as their main source of transportation. Older adults and adults nearing retirement age also tend to reside in suburban neighborhoods and rely heavily on personal vehicles. Since most of the United States is characterized by automobile dependent suburbanization, where the majority of development is suburban low-density sprawl, this may become problematic for aging populations who may be uncomfortable driving longer distances and making more trips. These trends invite the question of whether the deck is stacked against individuals approaching retirement age (50-64) and aging populations (65 and up). This study examines aging populations’ mobility and determines whether they have different travel patterns than their younger cohorts. Additionally, this investigation explores whether or not travel patterns across age groups result in differential access to particular goods and services, as well as differences in travel environment characteristics in a metropolitan area. This research proposes an approach based on Time Geographic Density Estimation (TGDE) to identify activity spaces across different age cohorts in order to identify differences in the mobility and travel behavior of aging adults. TGDE is an established technique in the literature, which blends the notion of activity spaces with the computation of probabilistic potential path trees along a transportation system. In this way it establishes an ‘extent’ or overall mapping of the activity space of an individual, but is able to further refine that extent to identify the most likely places they are able to visit within that geography. Data on origin and destination trips and travel times are taken from the National Household Travel Survey (NHTS) Florida add-on for the study area of Orlando Metropolitan Statistical Area (MSA). 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.

Url: http://fsu.digital.flvc.org/islandora/object/fsu%3A552150

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Authors: Wood, Brittany

Institution: Florida State University

Department: Geography

Advisor: Mark Horner

Degree: Doctor of Philosophy

Publisher Location: Tallahassee, FL

Pages: 155

Data Collections: IPUMS NHGIS

Topics: Aging and Retirement, Other

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