Two-step Floating Catchment Area Method Research Articles

Research on the Evaluation of an Age-Friendly Layout of Medical Service Facilities in Wuhan City Based on Accessibility

Accessibility is an important indicator for measuring the level of medical facility services in cities. Traditional studies on healthcare accessibility for the elderly have typically focused on the capabilities of emergency services while overlooking the daily independent healthcare needs of the elderly. Taking Wuhan City as an example, the Gaussian two-step floating catchment area method is used in this study to measure the accessibility of urban elderly residents with respect to general hospitals, specialized hospitals, and community health service centers. It also analyzes the appropriateness of the medical facility layout for the elderly in Wuhan City. The research findings indicate the following: (1) The accessibility evaluation method for urban medical facilities established with the Gaussian two-step floating catchment area model can accurately assess the supply–demand relationship between the elderly and various levels of medical facilities. (2) The overall coverage of medical service facilities in Wuhan City is relatively high, but there are significant differences in accessibility for elderly residents in different areas. (3) The appropriateness of daily healthcare access for elderly residents in the central urban areas of Wuhan City is mainly influenced by the layout of general hospitals, while, in the peripheral areas, it is mainly influenced by the layout of specialized hospitals and community health service centers. (4) Improving the appropriateness of urban medical facilities for elderly individuals requires differentiated improvement measures tailored to the characteristics of different zones.

A Spatial Accessibility Study of Public Hospitals: A Multi-Mode Gravity-Based Two-Step Floating Catchment Area Method

The multi-modal two-step floating catchment area (MM-2SFCA) method is an extension of the two-step floating catchment area (2SFCA) method that incorporates the impact of different transportation modes, thereby facilitating more accurate calculations of the spatial accessibility of public facilities in urban areas. However, the MM-2SFCA method does not account for the impact of distance within the search radius on supply–demand capacities, and it assumes an idealized supply–demand relationship. This paper introduces the gravity model into the MM-2SFCA method, proposing a multi-modal gravity-based 2SFCA (MM-G2SFCA) method to better account for distance decay and supply–demand relationships. Furthermore, a standardized gravity model is proposed based on the traditional gravity model. This model imposes constraints on upper and lower limits for distance decay weights without compromising the fundamental curve characteristics of the gravity model, thereby avoiding extreme weight scenarios. The accessibility of public hospitals in Shenzhen is evaluated through the integration of basic geographic information data, resident travel data, and official statistical data. The findings demonstrate that the standardized gravity model effectively addresses the issue of excessively high local distance weights in the traditional gravity model, making it more suitable as a distance decay function. The MM-G2SFCA method improves the consideration of distance and supply–demand relationships, thereby facilitating a more rational distribution of accessibility on a global scale. This study discovers differences in the spatial allocation of public hospital resources across the Shenzhen’s districts. Accessibility within the metropolitan core is significantly higher than that outside the core. Additionally, there is a notable difference in the level of accessibility among the districts. Accessibility is found to be better in district centers and along the main traffic arteries.

Spatial accessibility of home visiting nursing: An exploratory ecological study.

Japan is one of the oldest societies worldwide and manages a system of care for older adults in the community. In the 2000s, a community-based integrated care system was introduced to enable older adults to live in their neighborhoods. Home visiting nursing (HVN) is a crucial component of this system; however, the current and future shortage of home visiting nurses is a concern. Thus, HVN services may not be available in some areas; however, no indicators of the accessibility of HVN services have been developed. Developing accessibility indicators will serve as a standard for considering the allocation of health care resources and supporting future nursing policies that improve regional disparities. We estimated the population-weighted spatial accessibility index (PWSAI) of HVN services in Hokkaido, using the two-step floating catchment area method (2SFCA). The 2SFCA comprised population, location of HVN agencies, number of home visiting nurses, and travel time. A multivariate regression model was run for the number of HVN users in each municipality as the objective variable to test the validity of the PWSAI; the number of home care support clinics, home care support hospitals, HVN agencies, home visiting nurses, home visiting nurses (24/7), total beds in health care facilities for older adults, and nursing homes for older adults were included as other explanatory variables. The PWSAI was median 9.0 [interquartile range: 6.2-11.8]. The distribution of the PWSAI was mapped to visualize the existence of regional differences. As a result of the conditional autoregressive model, PWSAI and home visiting nurses (24/7) were significant, Exp(β) and 95% credible interval were 1.043 [1.015-1.076] and 1.021 [1.006-1.036], respectively. The PWSAI was positively correlated with the number of HVN users in each municipality and can serve as an indicator for assessing the accessibility of HVN.

An Equity Evaluation of Healthcare Accessibility across Age Strata Using the G2SFCA Method: A Case Study in Karamay District, China

Equitable access to healthcare services is essential for residents’ well-being and social equity, requiring the rational spatial distribution of healthcare facilities in urban planning. Compared with major studies on the spatial accessibility and equity of healthcare services in first-tier cities, second-tier cities, which form the foundational structure of the global urban system, have not be given sufficient attention. Therefore, this study takes Karamay District in Karamay as a case study to analyze the spatial equity of healthcare services using place-based accessibility measures. For accessibility calculations, we employ the Gaussian two-step floating catchment area method to separately analyze the accessibility to hospitals and primary healthcare (PHC) institutions, considering factors such as the number of facilities, population, distance, and transportation modes. Second, we utilize global and local Moran’s I for spatial analysis to identify areas with varying levels of accessibility. Furthermore, considering the spatial equity for different social groups, this study innovatively proposes an analytical framework for assessing healthcare accessibility and equity across age groups using residential-level data and an adjusted search radius in second-tier cities, typically those with small-scale urban areas. The results reveal significant spatial clustering in healthcare accessibility, similar to that observed in most first-tier cities, as well as notable differences in the spatial distribution between hospital accessibility and PHC accessibility. Regarding age strata, results show that the elderly have lower access to hospitals but higher access to PHC institutions, which is opposite to the situation observed for children. Overall, second-tier cities demonstrate better equity in healthcare accessibility compared to first-tier cities, particularly regarding hospital accessibility. However, there are minor inequities in PHC accessibility for children aged 0–12 years. Our findings may provide valuable insights and essential data support for healthcare resource allocation and land use planning in second-tier cities.

An integrated approach to analyze equitable access to food stores under disasters from human mobility patterns.

Limited access to food stores is often linked to higher health risks and lower community resilience. Socially vulnerable populations experience persistent disparities in equitable food store access. However, little research has been done to examine how people's access to food stores is affected by natural disasters. Previous studies mainly focus on examining potential access using the travel distance to the nearest food store, which often falls short of capturing the actual access of people. Therefore, to fill this gap, this paper incorporates human mobility patterns into the measure of actual access, leveraging large-scale mobile phone data. Specifically, we propose a novel enhanced two-step floating catchment area method with travel preferences (E2SFCA-TP) to measure accessibility, which extends the traditional E2SFCA model by integrating actual human mobility behaviors. We then analyze people's actual access to grocery and convenience stores across both space and time under the devastating winter storm Uri in Harris County, Texas. Our results highlight the value of using human mobility patterns to better reflect people's actual access behaviors. The proposed E2SFCA-TP measure is more capable of capturing mobility variations in people's access, compared with the traditional E2SFCA measure. This paper provides insights into food store access across space and time, which could aid decision making in resource allocation to enhance accessibility and mitigate the risk of food insecurity in underservedareas.

A Study on the Current Situation of Public Service Facilities’ Layout from the Perspective of 15-Minute Communities—Taking Chengdu of Sichuan Province as an Example

With the rapid expansion of cities, the construction of 15-minute communities has become an important way to improve the urban living environment and enhance the quality of life of residents. In this study, based on the perspective of a 15-minute community in Chengdu, the current situation of the spatial layout in the 12 main urban districts of 15,941 public service facility points is studied. Additionally, the matching relationship between the supply and demand of five major categories (19 subcategories) of public service facilities and the population is assessed by using the kernel density analysis method, the Gaussian two-step floating catchment area method, the hierarchical analysis method and the bivariate spatial autocorrelation. Finally, suggestions for the optimization of basic service facilities are made in the light of the current development situation in Chengdu. The results show that (1) there is a large spatial heterogeneity in the distribution and accessibility of public service facilities in the study area; (2) there is a mismatch between the supply and demand of public service facilities and the population in Chengdu; and (3) in order to further optimize the allocation of public service facilities, it is necessary to focus first on areas where demand exceeds supply. This study built a framework for assessing the current status of spatial distribution of public service facilities, which measures the 15-minute accessibility of basic public service facilities in a more comprehensive way and bridges the gap of previous single-type studies, which make it difficult to make comprehensive optimization recommendations directly. Meanwhile, the bivariate spatial autocorrelation reveals the areas of mismatch between supply and demand more accurately, and more clearly shows the areas that need to be focused on for optimization by policy makers.

Evaluating temporal variations in access to multi-tier hospitals using personal vehicles and public transit: Implications for healthcare equity

Understanding healthcare accessibility, or the ability to access healthcare services, has significant implications for both individual well-being and community equity. However, existing studies seldom account for temporally varying factors such as traffic conditions and hospital schedules, resulting in miscalculation of accessibility. This study addresses this gap by introducing a framework that evaluates accessibility to multi-tier hospitals, factoring in both spatial and temporal aspects, using public transit (PT) and personal vehicles (PVs), and assesses its impact on horizontal and vertical equity. Implemented in Shanghai, China, we employ the Gaussian two-step floating catchment area method for accessibility quantification and utilize map APIs for dynamic travel time data. Our analysis reveals: (i) notable temporal fluctuations in healthcare accessibility, especially for PT, and their significant impact on both horizontal and vertical equity due to varying travel times and hospital schedules; (ii) larger disparities in higher-tier hospital accessibility compared to lower-tier ones; (iii) greater horizontal equity using PV-based accessibility and higher vertical equity using PT-based accessibility. These findings highlight the need to offer customized transit to healthcare facilities, expand telehealth services, incorporate equity in healthcare resource allocation, incentivize healthcare professionals to work in underserved areas, and develop outreach programs to improve accessibility and equity.

Reassessing urban park accessibility: an improved two-step floating catchment area method based on the physical activity services perspective

Urban parks, as important carrier of outdoor physical activity, can effectively reduce the incidence of chronic diseases and promote public health. The accessibility of parks directly affects residents’ levels of physical activity. However, current accessibility assessments do not consider physical activity needs into account and are unable to adapt to the current developmental needs of a healthy China. We propose a framework for evaluating park accessibility oriented towards a physical activity service perspective. First, we introduced a park attractiveness index based on physical activity preferences. The index encompasses not only objective park features but also subjective environmental perception features, which are evaluated using deep-learning techniques. Furthermore, the size of the park catchment area was correlated with the park attractiveness index, and the likelihood of park selection based on people's physical activity preferences was computed. Fuzhou City's Gulou District was selected for this case study. The results show the following: (1) Our proposed evaluation model can identify more underserved neighborhoods in scenarios geared toward physical activity requirements than traditional approaches. (2) The distribution of parks in the Gulou District was not sufficiently balanced, with the accessibility value at the 90th percentile only slightly higher than the average value of 6.35. There was obvious spatial differentiation, with a pattern of high values in the central area and low values in the surrounding areas. (3) Approximately 12.70 % of the population is located within service-blind zones and the overall level of accessibility is poor. This study offers novel ideas and approaches for optimizing the spatial layout of urban parks within a health-oriented framework. This aids planners and policymakers in enhancing the spatial layout of parks and ensuring equitable access to urban parks that foster physical activity.

Spatial accessibility and inequality analysis of rabies-exposed patients to rabies post-exposure prophylaxis clinics in Guangzhou City, China

BackgroundThe incidence of rabies exposure is high and increasing in China, leading to an urgent demand of rabies post-exposure prophylaxis (PEP) clinics for the injured. However, the spatial accessibility and inequality of rabies-exposed patients to rabies PEP clinics is less known in China.MethodsBased on rabies exposure data, PEP clinic data, and resident travel origin-destination (OD) matrix data in Guangzhou City, China, we first described the incidence of rabies exposure in Guangzhou from 2020 to 2022. Then, the Gaussian two-step floating catchment area method (2SFCA) was used to analyze the spatial accessibility of rabies-exposed patients to rabies PEP clinics in Guangzhou, and the Gini coefficient and Moran’s I statistics were utilized to evaluate the inequality and clustering of accessibility scores.ResultsFrom 2020 to 2022, a total of 524,160 cases of rabies exposure were reported in Guangzhou, and the incidence showed a significant increasing trend, with an average annual incidence of 932.0/100,000. Spatial accessibility analysis revealed that the overall spatial accessibility scores for three scenarios (threshold of driving duration [d0] = 30 min, 45 min, and 60 min) were 0.30 (95% CI: 0.07, 0.87), 0.28 (95% CI: 0.11, 0.53) and 0.28 (95% CI: 0.14, 0.44), respectively. Conghua, Huangpu, Zengcheng and Nansha districts had the higher accessibility scores, while Haizhu, Liwan, and Yuexiu districts exhibited lower spatial accessibility scores. The Gini coefficient and Moran’s I statistics showed that there were certain inequality and clustering in the accessibility to rabies PEP clinics in Guangzhou.ConclusionsThis study clarifies the heterogeneity of spatial accessibility to rabies PEP clinics, and provide valuable insights for resource allocation to achieve the WHO target of zero human dog-mediated rabies deaths by 2030.

Assessing the Spatial Equity of Multi-Type Health Service Facilities: An Improved Method Integrating Scale Accessibility and Type Diversity

Ensuring the spatial equity of health service facilities (HSFs) is crucial for the well-being of residents. However, previous research has predominantly focused on the accessibility and equity of single-type facilities, neglecting the residents’ demand for diversified types of health services. This study proposes a multi-type, Gaussian-based, two-step floating catchment area method (MT-G2SFCA) to assess the comprehensive accessibility and equity of multi-type HSFs in different age groups in the Hedong District of Tianjin, with the Gini coefficient and the bivariate local Moran’s I. Furthermore, the key factors affecting the accessibility were explored through a geo-detector. The results indicate the following: (1) Neglecting the health benefits of facility type diversity can result in an underestimation of the accessibility and equity; (2) neglecting the differences in walking ability of the elderly can result in an overestimation of the accessibility and equity; and (3) the Pedestrian Route Directness is the key factor affecting the accessibility and equity in high-density urban areas, and especially that the facility density is the key factor for the elderly. This research emphasizes the impact of facility type diversity on the accessibility and equity of HSFs, which can offer more precise and holistic technical assistance and policy recommendations for optimizing the allocation of HSFs.

Accessibility Evaluation of a Newly Planned High-Speed Railway Station in a Metropolitan Core Area Based on a Modified Two-Step Floating Catchment Area Method

Accessibility Evaluation of a Newly Planned High-Speed Railway Station in a Metropolitan Core Area Based on a Modified Two-Step Floating Catchment Area Method

Geographic Accessibility to Pelvic Health Physiotherapy Services Across Ontario: A Geographic Information System Analysis

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to explore the distribution and geographic accessibility of pelvic health physiotherapist services for females in Ontario across an urban–rural gradient. Method: A geographic information system-based observational study was conducted. Physiotherapists’ practice locations (supply) were obtained from the College of Physiotherapists of Ontario registrant pelvic health roster. Dissemination area centroids (demand) were calculated based on 2021 Statistics Canada census data for females in Ontario. Locations were geocoded and mapped, and an accessibility score was computed using an enhanced two-step floating catchment area method. A choropleth map was generated with accessibility scores, and results were stratified using an urban–rural gradient. Results: Geographic locations of 1172 pelvic health physiotherapists across Ontario were retrieved. The provincial average accessibility score was 1.84 pelvic health physiotherapists (PHPTs) per 10,000 females (range, min-max, 0–26.27 PHPTs). Access to a PHPT is more limited in rural areas and municipalities with weak to no metropolitan influence and higher in census metropolitan areas and larger urban centres. Conclusions: Regional disparities in accessibility to PHPT services for females in Ontario exist and should be considered in planning and policy development, particularly to enhance accessibility to females living in rural areas.

Towards Resilient Cities: Optimizing Shelter Site Selection and Disaster Prevention Life Circle Construction Using GIS and Supply-Demand Considerations

City health examinations are integral to China’s urban planning, construction, and management. They effectively identify potential risks and vulnerabilities in urban development, ensuring safety resilience—a critical component. This resilience enhances the city’s ability to withstand internal and external shocks, promoting the safety of urban residents and fostering sustainable city development. Drawing on the Japanese disaster prevention strategy, the disaster prevention life circle emerges as a rescue and protection system during urban disasters, fortifying urban safety resilience. However, smaller and mid-sized cities, constrained by limited resources, significantly need to catch up in disaster prevention planning. Consequently, bolstering safety resilience in these cities becomes a pressing concern. This study focuses on Lindian County in Heilongjiang Province as the urban area under consideration for resilient city objectives. Leveraging the ArcGIS network analysis tool, we optimize the placement of emergency shelters, aligning with urban disaster assessments and the equilibrium of disaster prevention facility supply and demand. Accessibility analysis of emergency shelters was conducted using the Gaussian two-step floating catchment area method. Ultimately, we integrate the range of demand points assigned to each shelter, along with the effective land area reflecting the supply of shelters, as weights into a weighted Voronoi diagram. This diagram is combined with a reference to the entire region to delineate the disaster prevention life circle. Findings reveal that, under the premise of minimizing government construction costs while maximizing coverage and evacuation utilization rates, the optimal resident emergency congregate shelters in the study area are 8, with 98 emergency evacuation and embarkation shelters. Striking a balance between disaster prevention facility supply and demand and regional accessibility, the urban area of Lindian County is segmented into 3 resident disaster prevention life circles and 24 emergency disaster prevention life circles. The objective of this study is to optimize shelter siting and establish disaster prevention life circles in diverse urban areas. This endeavor aims to bolster urban resilience and foster sustainable urban development.

Spatial accessibility and equity of residential care facilities in Beijing from 2010 to 2020

In recent years, the aging population in Beijing has rapidly increased and the demand for residential care facilities (RCFs) has also risen. As RCFs have quickly developed, the question of whether residential care resources dynamically match the changes in the demand of the elderly population is an urgent issue that must be addressed. This study analyzes the spatiotemporal variation in the supply and demand of RCFs, applies a Gaussian two-step floating catchment area method with a multi-level search radius to measure the spatial accessibility of RCFs in Beijing in 2010 and 2020, and evaluates the equity of spatial accessibility. The results show that the elderly population was decentralized from the central urban area to New Urban Development Area. However, the distribution of RCF beds shows further agglomeration towards the central urban area. The accessibility of residential care resources in the central urban area and New Urban Development Area has increased, while accessibility in Ecological Protection Area has decreased. The spatial disparities in accessibility have been reduced and the spatial equity in accessibility has been improved over the past decade. The findings provide policy recommendations for the future allocation of RCFs by considering the spatiotemporal changes in the distribution of the supply and demand of residential care resources.

Spatial Justice of Urban Park Green Space under Multiple Travel Modes and at Multiple Scales: A Case Study of Qingdao City Center, China

Improving the justice of public parks is of great significance to the well-being of residents, and it is also an important goal of green space planning. In this paper, the spatial justice of park green space under five travel modes and at three scales was analyzed using the travel-behavior-based Gaussian two-step floating catchment area method (TB-G2SFCA) and Gini coefficient method for Qingdao City Center. The main results are as follows: Under walking mode, walking–bus mode, and walking–subway mode, there were unserved areas in terms of urban park green space, while there were no unserved areas in the cases of cycling and driving. Residents’ choice of travel time and travel mode would affect the service scope of the park green space, and the increase in travel time would reduce the unserved areas in the urban park green space. The choice of travel time and travel mode affected the accessibility of urban park green space for residents in each residential patch, as well as the justice of the distribution of park green space resources at the scales of street blocks, districts, and the whole study area. The increase in residents’ travel speed and travel time could promote the equitable allocation of urban park green space to a certain extent. The results of this study provide a scientific basis for the planning and construction of urban park green space in Qingdao City.

Leveraging accessibility modeling to improve housing equity for low-income assisted renters: A case study in Bridgeport, Connecticut

The Housing Choice Voucher Program (HCVP) in the United States assists low-income households with a rent voucher to be redeemed in the private rental market. However, public housing authorities in certain states, such as Connecticut, may impose geographic restrictions that we coin as the “same-jurisdiction rule,” when implementing the HCVP. In practice, this constraint is translated to the requirement that assisted households must lease up within the same jurisdiction, which may eventually restrict access to high-quality housing or prevent relocation to higher-opportunity neighborhoods. To identify ways for policy improvement, we adopt the two-step floating catchment area method to evaluate the accessibility to HCVP-eligible housing in Bridgeport, Connecticut with and without the same-jurisdiction rule. The results indicate that when the geographic restrictions are lifted, there is a 9.23 % increase in median accessibility, and the increase is more significant in low-accessibility areas, which are often lower-opportunity neighborhoods. The results suggest that removing the same-jurisdiction rule can result in more housing options and thus improve housing equity for assisted renters. Since the HCVP and other rental assistance programs are spatial-driven, we call for establishing an operational workflow to corroborate the rigor of these programs to improve housing equity for low-income households.

Dynamic equity in urban amenities distribution: An accessibility-driven assessment

The continual challenges exist in attaining an equitable allocation of urban amenities. In order to render this objective attainable as well as practical in real-world scenarios, it is imperative to transition from a static conceptualization of equity to a dynamic notion of equity. To assess dynamic equity in the context of Dhaka, we collected data for two distinct time periods, 2005 and 2018, and calculated integrated accessibility indices using enhanced two-step floating catchment area method. We then responded to these questions: a) Has there been an increase in the level of accessibility? b) Is the changed accessibility being shared more equally or unequally? c) Do members of underprivileged groups enjoy greater access than members of privileged groups? d) Is the underprivileged population enjoying progressively increasing access over time? The results indicate the distribution of accessibility exhibits a pattern, wherein individuals belonging to the underprivileged group experience lower accessibility benefits, while individuals in the privileged group enjoy better accessibility. The sole reason for optimism regarding the distribution pattern lies in the narrowing of the accessibility gap between the privileged and underprivileged. Moreover, the accessibility distribution becomes more equal within the underprivileged group, while becoming more unequal within the privileged group.

Impacts of sociodemographic factors, identities and neighbourhood safety on the relationship between urban green space and adolescent mental well-being: Findings from Tāmaki Makaurau Auckland, Aotearoa New Zealand

This study explored the relationship between green space accessibility (GSA) in residential area and adolescents’ mental well-being, and whether the relationship was moderated by sociodemographic factors (sex, ethnicity, neighbourhood deprivation), identities (gender and sexuality minority, disability) and perceived neighbourhood safety simultaneously. Data from 3813 adolescents who lived in Tāmaki Makaurau Auckland, Aotearoa New Zealand were obtained from the Youth19 Rangatahi Smart Survey. A Gaussian-based two-step floating catchment area method was employed to measure the spatial accessibility to green space at the neighbourhood level. The World Health Organization-5 Well-being Index was used to assess emotional well-being (EW), and the Reynolds Adolescent Depression Scale-short form was employed to measure depressive symptoms (DS). Through moderation analyses, results showed that perceived neighbourhood safety plays a vital role in the GSA – mental well-being association, with a negative trend in adolescents who reported being less safe in neighbourhoods. Adverse associations of GSA were found in gender and sexuality minority, disabled, Asian and Pacific adolescents, under the condition of not feeling safe in neighbourhoods all the time. The results showed marginalised adolescents tended to feel less safe in neighbourhoods, have lower EW and a higher level of DS. Additionally, the results from bivariate correlations showed there were inequalities in GSA for adolescents who lived in most deprived neighbourhoods and adolescents of Māori ethnicity. This study provides novel evidence of the importance of safe and inclusive green space for effectively promoting mental health and mitigating health inequalities of adolescents in urban areas.

Measuring multi-activities accessibility and equity with accessibility-oriented development strategies

Accessibility-oriented development (AOD) strategies are the extension of transit-oriented development (TOD) strategies but focus more on access to destinations. Adopting AOD strategies can help identify and improve the defects of imperfect TOD construction. Based on AOD strategies, this paper evaluated the comprehensive accessibility to multiple public facilities with the Gaussian-based two-step floating catchment area method (G2SFCA) in the heart area of Chengdu City and further analyzed its equity issues. The comprehensive accessibility analysis proved the efficiency of AOD-based analysis in public resources shortage area determination and TOD level evaluation. The equity analysis indicated that the improvement of equity could not reflect the progress on total accessibility but only rationalize the allocation structure of public resources. Based on the case study, several suggestions for policy-making are given, including the construction of the non-motorized transportation system, adjustment of supply allocation, and comprehensive consideration of equity and accessibility in urban planning.

Using an age-grouped Gaussian-based two-step floating catchment area method (AG2SFCA) to measure walking accessibility to urban parks: With an explicit focus on elderly

Rapid population aging has raised the number of elderly residents dramatically, calling out the challenge to provide elders with sufficient and equal urban park spaces in cities with limited land use. Ensuring elders have matched accessibility to urban parks is essential for social sustainability. This study introduces an age-grouped Gaussian-based two-step floating catchment area method (AG2SFCA) to more accurately reflect the urban park accessibility of the elderly and to explore the influence of population aging on residents' accessibility evolution. The applicability and rationality of AG2SFCA are demonstrated through the case study in the Chengdu city center. The results indicate that most elders' urban park accessibility and overall horizontal equity level are overestimated in the previous adjuted 2SFCA approach. There is no unified relationship between residents' accessibility and the population aging condition in their community. However, residents' accessibility is related to the overall aging level of society. Even in the urban core of Chengdu, many elders still have no access to urban parks. The high proximity can help elders maintain their matched accessibility to urban parks despite an aging population. This study enriches the application of 2SFCA-style models and helps provide empirical support to governments, urban planners, and facility operators for targeted decision-making.