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US Department of Transportation,
Abstract The first phase of this project
established the foundation for better understanding older adults’
locational characteristics in the Boston Metro Area and is allowing
us to gain preliminary insights into the relationship between the
built environment and the travel behavior of older adults through
the study of four different urban edge communities (two age-restricted
communities, two matching non-age-restricted communities), utilizing
focus groups. The second phase of this project enable us
to build upon the information gained and to develop stronger empirical
evidence on how different types of community settings, particularly
age-restricted, active adult communities (ARAAC), apparently influence
travel and activity patterns. In the second phase, we employ
a travel survey instrument among older adults residing in two ARAACs
and two non-ARAACs, in a matched pair, quasi-experimental research
design. Following the state-of-the-art in this type of research,
we utilize survey questions and statistical techniques that attempt to control for individual’s travel preferences. The
research design will enable stronger inference regarding the influence
of the community setting on travel behavior. The results will
allow us to derive specific lessons for the design of communities
where older adults reside.
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