Paula Negron-Poblete

Improving walkability for seniors through accessibility to food stores: a study of three areas of Greater Montreal

The aging of suburbs requires that pedestrian accessibility be favored in this type of environment, because walking is a key element in the quality of life of seniors. This article analyzes the potential for accessibility by foot in three inner suburbs of the Greater Montreal Area. Accessibility was calculated using walking distances throughout the street network. This analysis was complemented by an observation of physical-spatial characteristics likely to affect walking among seniors. Pedestrian accessibility is influenced not only by long travel distances but also by various obstacles that result from land-use decisions in favor of motorized travel on a regional scale. This article reveals the necessity for urban planners to find a balance between local accessibility by foot and public transit, and regional accessibility by motorized transport.

The Changing Spatial Distribution of Montreal Seniors at the Neighbourhood Level: A Trajectory Analysis

Abstract Numerous studies in the 1970s and 1980s examined the changing residential geography of seniors in North American metropolises but recent studies are scarce. The goal of this paper is to identify and model neighbourhood ageing trajectories in Montreal over six consecutive census years (1981–2006). To identify these trajectories, we use a statistical method, Latent Class Growth Modelling, applied to location quotients calculated at the census tracts level (neighbourhoods). The 614 neighbourhoods are classified according to eight ageing trajectories. Next, we examine the predictors of these trajectories by introducing two types of variables: variables characterizing residents and the built environment at the beginning of the study period, and variables that consider the evolution of these characteristics over the 25-year time frame. The most important predictors are the proportions in 1981 of persons 45–64-years old, of one-person households and of low-income families, and the variation from 1981 to 2006 in proportions of persons 0–14-years old and of one-person households.

The Residential Mobility of Seniors Among Different Residential Forms: Analysis of Metropolitan and Rural Issues for Six Contrasted Regions in Québec, Canada

ABSTRACT The purpose of this research is to describe and analyze the residential mobility of senior citizens, between 2006 and 2011, among different residential forms in rural and metropolitan areas in the province of Quebec (Canada). A systematic analysis of residential form variability in territories that include both metropolitan and rural areas is performed. First, a typology of residential forms is proposed using a principal component analysis and a hierarchical cluster analysis on environment-related and housing variables. Second, the residential mobility of seniors among these different residential forms is analyzed. The results reveal a certain amount of residential stability among seniors, except where specific conditions are met, such as the death of a spouse or the onset of health problems limiting day-to-day activities. For those who moved, high-rise habitat areas and mixed areas with older rental apartments held the greatest attraction. However, suburban areas attracted the largest number of seniors because these areas account for a sizeable portion of the real estate market.