The mobility to public spaces towards supporting aging society : an assessment of elderly people, urban service centres, and transportation system in Bangkok | |
| Author | Sariya Srichuae |
| Call Number | AIT Diss. no.UE-16-01 |
| Subject(s) | Older people--Bangkok (Thailand) Urbanization--Bangkok (Thailand) Aging--Social aspects--Bangkok (Thailand) |
| Note | A dissertationsubmitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy, School of Environment, Resources and Development |
| Publisher | Asian Institute of Technology |
| Series Statement | Dissertation ; no. UE-16-01 |
| Abstract | An aging society and urbanization are two global trends that are happening in the urban area of developing countries. The issues of public space and urban transport are crucial in terms of development to meet the elderly needs, which are different from those of other age groups. With the physical deterioration, the changes in socio-economic conditions and life styles, it becomes more difficult for the elderly to achieve mobility in urban environment. This is particularly true in developing countries with rapid urbanization, where the main focus is on physical growth and little attention is paid to adequate infrastructure base. This leads to shortages of basic services, facilities, and inadequate transportation systems, potentially obstructing the mobility of the elderly in the urban area. This study aims to explore the out-of-home activities in relation to urban system and assess the mobility of the elderly through urban transport and public spaces. The study investigates the needs of the elderly to do out-of-home activities in urban public spaces and transportation in urban Bangkok. A mix of quantitative and qualitative methods was utilized in the research design. The data were obtained from the elderly aged 60 and over living in three different urban development patterns of Bangkok: the inner zone, the intermediate zone, and the outer zone. The data collection by questionnaire survey related to the individuals, their out-of-home activities, and travel patterns. Regarding the urban public spaces, the focus was on health care service facilities, shopping centers, recreation facilities ,and religious facilities. These were classified into different types and orders. Likewise, the transportation modes were classified into three major modes: non-motorized mode, public transportation mode, and private transportation mode. At the same time, this study assesses the mobility of the elderly to find out the influencing factors by using two dependent variables; (i) independence of mobility, and (ii) the public spaces and transportation modes used by the elderly. The data analysis was carried out utilizing crosstab and dummy technique to classify and contrast categories of data with baseline, bivariate correlation for selection of the significant variables, and binary logistic regression for the purpose of determining the influencing factors. The findings show that there are ten out-of-home activities of the elderly in three zones based on basic needs and higher needs. The out-of-home activities most likely concentrated on health care, shopping, religious and recreation activities except in the intermediate zone where the elderly’s activities tend to involve banking more than recreation. Therefore, how well the needs to do out-of-home activities were met depended on the availability and accessibility of public space and transportation in urban spatial system. The out-of-home activities of the elderly are usually related to lower-order hierarchy of public spaces, except healthcare activities, which are likely accessed in a higher-order hierarchy of public space. The study also found that the factors influencing the mobility for out-of-home activities are related to three major factors: the independence of mobility, the distribution of public spaces, and the urban system. The study recommends urban development and transportation planning to promote neighbourhood design and community planning as well as to promote the mixed land use. Also recommended is the improvement of transportation system with a proper design of infrastructure, facilities and services. It is also advisable that use of technology for safety and security be promoted. Finally, the study suggests the integration of urban development and transportation planning to focus on the urban system and its structure, including the hierarchy of public space and the provision of transportation networks and services in different spatial systems. |
| Year | 2016 |
| Corresponding Series Added Entry | Asian Institute of Technology. Dissertation ; no. UE-16-01 |
| Type | Dissertation |
| School | School of Environment, Resources, and Development (SERD) |
| Department | Other Field of Studies (No Department) |
| Academic Program/FoS | Urban Environmental and Management (UE) |
| Chairperson(s) | Vilas Nitivattananon; |
| Examination Committee(s) | Ranjith Perera;Kusakabe, Kyoko;Kim, Sohee Minsun; |
| Scholarship Donor(s) | Royal Thai Government (RTG);Asian Institute of Technology (AIT); |
| Degree | Thesis (Ph.D.) - Asian Institute of Technology, 2016 |