Age-Friendly Street Construction: The Synergy of the Physical Environment in Old Urban Communities in Suzhou

Abstract

Community streets play a crucial role in promoting healthy aging and encouraging active behaviors among older adults. This study focuses on two types of activities of older adults: walking and social interaction. We explored the relationship between physical environmental factors and different activity types using a multiple linear regression model. Eye-level green visibility (GSVN) was used to represent the diversity of facilities (DFN), while betweenness (ABN) accounted for the mixed degree of functions (PNi), enhancing model stability. The results indicate that community environmental factors, both individually (R2 = 0.390) and in combination (R2 = 0.409), have significant effects on active behaviors. Notably, the combined variable model demonstrated greater stability. Moreover, the model’s explanatory power for social interaction (R2 = 0.567) was much higher than for walking behavior (R2= 0.137), underscoring the stronger influence of combined variables on social engagement. The results suggest that creating age-friendly urban environments requires a holistic approach that improves infrastructure, green visibility, and functional diversity to promote both mobility and social interaction. These insights provide valuable guidance for designing inclusive urban spaces that support active aging.