Patrick Laforest

The World Health Organization in 2007 developed the Age-Friendly Community guideline. This guideline intended to identify key features of a community that makes it an enhancement to one's overall quality of life as they age. Walkability can be defined by many different factors, determining how safe, connected, accessible and pleasant it is for an individual of any age to be able to navigate their neighbourhood by walking as a mode of transport or leisure (Abley, 2005). To complete this study an extensive amount of data to support the locations of AFC services was collected to enhance the overall analysis.This study aims to combine the two subject matters of age-friendly communities and walkability to create a customised walkability methodology specific to the needs of older adults. Using a visual analysis and a bivariate local indicator of spatial autocorrelation statistic, this study analyzes the spatial patterns of the age-friendly community walkability index developed in this study. It also examines the relationship between the neighbourhood walkability and the residential pattern of older adult populations within the Regional Municipality of York.The study provides implications to shape government policy and long-range planning regarding the development and locations of age-friendly walkable communities.