Defining the characteristics of walking paths to promote an active ageing

During the next three decades the “grey” segment of population will grow by nearly 80% in many developed countries such as Italy. The structure and the design of outdoor spaces and the related walkable network can improve the quality of life of old population, making it “active” by promoting social engagement and health-based activities. In this perspective, this paper provides a GIS-based methodology that, starting from the physical characteristics of the pedestrian network and the urban context influencing the choice of a route, is aimed at defining the pedestrian network suitable for the elderly for achieving some of the main activities of their interest. This goal represents a step of the MOBILAGE project, aiming to define a decision support tool for public administrations to quality of life of elderly.