Spatial Accessibility: Integrating Fuzzy AHP and GIS Techniques to Improve Elderly Walkability

The study of pedestrian accessibility aimed at improving the physical and functional organization of the urban system is of significant interest in the international scientific community, as the opportunities for pedestrian movement within the urban system affect the behavior and lifestyles of pedestrians in their everyday life. In particular, many scholars propose research aimed at improving the pedestrian network at the urban and neighborhood scale. Moreover, efforts to improve walkability should be people-oriented. In particular, the urban population is diverse and people’s physical abilities tend to decline with old age. Hence, this work focuses on increasing accessibility to urban services for people over 65 by improving walkability. To this end, the characteristics that make pedestrian paths suitable for this weak user group are identified. The pedestrian routes are analyzed based on the geometry and quality of the routes (physical characteristics), the perceived protection in following them (characteristics related to the sense of safety and protection) and the urban context. The weight of these characteristics was quantified through a multi-criteria analysis using the Fuzzy Analytic Hierarchy Process technique. The technique, combined with GIS spatial capabilities allowed us to classify the pedestrian network according to its “friendliness” to the elderly. The proposed methodology was tested in two districts of the city of Naples to illustrate the relevance of local contexts, including demographic, morphological and settlement characteristics.