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Catharine Ward Thompson

University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh College of Art, Faculty Member

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I am a Professor of Landscape Architecture and Director of OPENspace Research Centre at the University of Edinburgh. My research focuses on inclusive access to outdoor environments, environment-behaviour interactions, historic landscapes and contemporary needs, landscape design for older people, for children and for teenagers, and salutogenic environments. Since 2001, I have been Director of OPENspace – the research centre for inclusive access to outdoor environments – based at Edinburgh College of Art and Heriot-Watt University. See www.openspace.eca.ac.uk

I currently direct the I’DGO (Inclusive Design for Getting Outdoors) research consortium, a collaboration with Salford and Oxford Brookes Universities focused on ensuring that the outdoor environment is designed inclusively and with sensitivity to the needs and desires of older people, to improve their quality of life (see www.idgo.ac.uk). I am also member of SPARColl, the Scottish Physical Activity Research Collaboration, led by Strathclyde University, contributing expertise on relationships between physical environment and health.
Phone: +44 131 221 6176
Address: ESALA: Edinburgh School of Architecture & Landscape Architecture
University of Edinburgh
74 Lauriston Place
Edinburgh
EH3 9DF

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Papers by Catharine Ward Thompson

Landscape Perceptions and Use of Green Space

Landscape Perceptions and Use of Green Space: Sections 3.2.1- 3.2.4 cover Introduction; Focus groups; Urban green space and stress household survey; and Urban green space and stress, cortisol survey

Older People, Outdoor Access and Quality of Life

The Influence of the Local Neighbourhood Environment on Walking Levels during the Walking for Wellbeing in the West Pedometer-Based Community Intervention

Journal of Environmental and Public Health, 2012

We investigated the relationship between walking levels and the local neighbourhood physical envi... more We investigated the relationship between walking levels and the local neighbourhood physical environment during the Walking for Wellbeing in the West (WWW) randomised pedometer-based community intervention. Walking activity was recorded as step counts at baseline (n=76), and at 3 months (n=57), 6 months (n=54), and 12 months (n=45) post-intervention. Objective physical environment data were obtained from GIS datasets and street surveys conducted using the SWAT audit tool. Sixty-nine environment variables were reduced to eight environment factors using principal axis factoring, and the relationship between environment factors and (i) step counts, and (ii) the change in step counts relative to baseline, was examined using hierarchical multiple linear regression, controlling for age, gender, income, and deprivation. Five environment factors were significant predictors of step counts, but none were significant predictors of the change in step counts relative to baseline. None of the dem...

Geddes, Zoos and the Valley Section

The development of Edinburgh Zoological Garden was a pioneering example of the modern approach to... more The development of Edinburgh Zoological Garden was a pioneering example of the modern approach to animal display, placing animals in naturalistic settings that demanded innovative landscape design. The concept for Edinburgh Zoo, opened in 1913, was devised by Patrick Geddes and developed in collaboration with Frank C Mears and Geddes's daughter, Norah.

Landscape and health

Research in Landscape Architecture

Communities facing urban depopulation: exploring people’s environmental preferences. A case study of Lisbon, Portugal

ABSTRACTThis study focuses on the relative importance for resident’s wellbeing of different attri... more

Review of Research in Landscape and Woodland Perceptions and Research in Landscape Aesthetics and Experience

Research on Public Art : Assessing Impact and Quality Final Report OPENspace : the research centre for inclusive access to outdoor environments

Wild Adventure Space: its role in teenagers’ lives

This research was commissioned to explore what contribution the natural environment can make in r... more This research was commissioned to explore what contribution the natural environment can make in relation to current debates about young people today, including indications in other work (for example, www.naturalengland.org.uk/ourwork/enjoying/res earch/futuretrends/default.aspx) that teenagers might be considered "a lost generation", turned off from interest in natural environment. The findings confirm:  Young people do not necessarily "turn off" to nature and the environment when they become teenagers: they still enjoy and value "adventurous" activities that challenge them.

Are Rurality, Area Deprivation, Access to Outside Space, and Green Space Associated with Mental Health during the COVID-19 Pandemic? A Cross Sectional Study (CHARIS-E)

International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health

The study investigated if rurality, area deprivation, access to outside space (Study 1), and freq... more The study investigated if rurality, area deprivation, access to outside space (Study 1), and frequency of visiting and duration in green space (Study 2) are associated with mental health during the COVID-19 pandemic and examined if individual demographics (age, gender, COVID-19 shielding status) and illness beliefs have a direct association with mental health during the COVID-19 pandemic. A serial, weekly, nationally representative, cross-sectional, observational study of randomly selected adults was conducted in Scotland during June and July 2020. If available, validated instruments were used to measure psychological distress, individual demographics, illness beliefs, and the following characteristics: Rurality, area deprivation, access to residential outside space, frequency of visiting, and duration in green space. Simple linear regressions followed by examination of moderation effect were conducted. There were 2969 participants in Study 1, of which 1765 (59.6%) were female, 349 ...

Effects of Urban Green Space on Environmental Health, Equity and Resilience

Theory and Practice of Urban Sustainability Transitions

Modern urban life style is associated with chronic stress, insufficient physical activity and exp... more Modern urban life style is associated with chronic stress, insufficient physical activity and exposure to anthropogenic environmental hazards. Urban green space, such as parks, playgrounds, and residential greenery, can promote mental and physical health and reduce morbidity and mortality in urban residents by providing psychological relaxation and stress alleviation, stimulating social cohesion, supporting physical activity, and reducing exposure to air pollutants, noise and excessive heat. This chapter summarizes the pathways that link green spaces to health and wellbeing, and discusses available evidence of specific beneficial effects such as improved mental health, reduced risks of cardiovascular disease, obesity, diabetes and death, and improved pregnancy outcomes Specific attention is given to benefits of urban green space for disadvantaged groups and their impacts on health equity. Potential health risks associated with urban green spaces are also discussed along with approaches to reducing or eliminating these risks through proper design and maintenance of green spaces.

Perspectives on “Novel” Techniques for Designing Age-Friendly Homes and Neighborhoods with Older Adults

International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health

Worldwide, growth in the older population creates a pressing need to develop supportive environme... more Worldwide, growth in the older population creates a pressing need to develop supportive environments that enhance quality of life as people age. Too often, built environments present barriers and challenges to older adults that compromise independent living and adversely affect health and life outcomes. Designing homes, buildings, and neighborhoods with older adults, through exercises in participatory or co-design, could help ensure that environments are better able to facilitate healthy aging. However, while it is potentially advantageous to involve this age group in environmental design decisions, doing so can be difficult. Analysis of and guidance on effective ways to involve older adults in these activities could make the challenge easier. With this aim in mind, this article provides critical perspectives on eight “less traditional” engagement techniques—walking interviews, photovoice, photo-elicitation, Talking Mats®, participatory mapping, drawing, model-making, and the “Desig...

Co-production of “nature walks for wellbeing” public health intervention for people with severe mental illness: use of theory and practical know-how

BMC Public Health

Background Interventions need to be developed in a timely and relatively low-cost manner in order... more Background Interventions need to be developed in a timely and relatively low-cost manner in order to respond to, and quickly address, major public health concerns. We aimed to quickly develop an intervention to support people with severe mental ill-health, that is systematic, well founded both in theory and evidence, without the support of significant funding or resource. In this article we aim to open and elucidate the contents of the ‘black box’ of intervention development. Methods A multidisciplinary team of seven academics and health practitioners, together with service user input, developed an intervention in 2018 by scoping the literature, face-to-face meetings, email and telephone. Researcher fieldnotes were analysed to describe how the intervention was developed in four iterative steps. Results In step 1 and 2, scoping the literature showed that, a) people with severe mental illness have high mortality risk in part due to high levels of sedentary behaviour and low levels of ...

The impact of walking in different urban environments on brain activity in older people

Cities & Health

Neurourbanism looks to understand the relationship between urban environments and mental well-bei... more Neurourbanism looks to understand the relationship between urban environments and mental well-being and is well placed to assess the role of these environments on the urbanised and ageing global population. This study builds on research using mobile electroencephalography (EEG) to understand the impact of urban environments (busy, quiet and green urban spaces) on brain activity. Ninety-five older participants aged over 65 years undertook one of six walks in an urban neighbourhood, transitioning between two distinct environmental settings. This study explores changes in alpha (associated with relaxation) and beta (associated with attention) brain activity recorded during walking in differing urban environments. Neural activity significantly varies as participants walk between urban busy and green settings, with reduced levels of low beta activity in the green setting, suggesting attention changes consistent with Attention Restoration Theory. Levels of alpha activity significantly varied between the urban busy and the urban quiet settings, with increases in the urban busy setting. There were no significant differences in EEG activity between the urban green and urban quiet settings, suggesting that the magnitude of environmental contrast between the urban busy context and other urban settings is an important factor in understanding the effects of these spaces on brain activity.

Enhancing Health Through Access to Nature: How Effective are Interventions in Woodlands in Deprived Urban Communities? A Quasi-experimental Study in Scotland, UK

Sustainability

High prevalence of poor mental health is a major public health problem. Natural environments may ... more High prevalence of poor mental health is a major public health problem. Natural environments may contribute to mitigating stress and enhancing health. However, there is little evidence on whether community-level interventions intended to increase exposure to natural environments can improve mental health and related behaviours. In the first study of its kind, we evaluated whether the implementation of a programme designed to improve the quality of, and access to, local woodlands in deprived communities in Scotland, UK, was associated with lower perceived stress or other health-related outcomes, using a controlled, repeat cross-sectional design with a nested prospective cohort. Interventions included physical changes to the woodlands and community engagement activities within the woodlands, with data collected at baseline (2013) and post-intervention (2014 and 2015). The interventions were, unexpectedly, associated with increased perceived stress compared to control sites. However, w...

Life course of place: A longitudinal study of mental health and place

Transactions of the Institute of British Geographers

A multitude of studies have demonstrated that individual circumstances throughout life influence ... more A multitude of studies have demonstrated that individual circumstances throughout life influence subsequent health and well-being outcomes. The life-course perspective emphasises that health is affected by the accumulation of social and economic (dis)advantages over an individual's life but, importantly, also that there can also be critical periods where the effects of exposure can be greater. Yet few researchers have applied a life-course perspective to the study of health and place, which has resulted in a partial understanding of the dynamics of person-health-place relations. By explicitly recognising that places are spatial-temporal products, and applying a novel longitudinal life-course approach, this study examines the opportunities for incorporating aspects of place into a life course framework. The focus is the influence of neighbourhood social deprivation and provision of local green space on mental health (particularly anxiety and depression). Historical and contemporary place-based information from the Lothian region of Scotland are combined with data from a cohort of individuals born in 1936 (the Lothian Birth Cohort 1936) to consider the influence of these environmental factors over the life course on mental health outcomes later in life. The results establish the utility of the life course of place approach, and demonstrate how this concept can be operationalised using historical data sources. The findings suggest that, after adjustment, residing in the most socially disadvantaged neighbourhoods in childhood was detrimental to mental health outcomes at age 70. Further, green space provision in early life environments is related to mental health outcomes in later life, but any effect may be restricted to those residing in socially disadvantaged places, and dependent on the specific mental health outcome being considered. The findings emphasise the potential of the life course of place approach for enhancing the evidence base considering the relationships between health and place.

Correction to: The Aging Urban Brain: Analyzing Outdoor Physical Activity Using the Emotiv Affectiv Suite in Older People

Journal of urban health : bulletin of the New York Academy of Medicine, Jan 23, 2017

Please note that the legend to Fig. 1 has been modified since this article was originally publish... more

Coping with Stress in Deprived Urban Neighborhoods: What Is the Role of Green Space According to Life Stage?

Frontiers in psychology, 2017

This study follows previous research showing how green space quantity and contact with nature (vi... more This study follows previous research showing how green space quantity and contact with nature (via access to gardens/allotments) helps mitigate stress in people living in deprived urban environments (Ward Thompson et al., 2016). However, little is known about how these environments aid stress mitigation nor how stress levels vary in a population experiencing higher than average stress. This study used Latent Class Analysis (LCA) to, first, identify latent health clusters in the same population (n = 406) and, second, to relate health cluster membership to variables of interest, including four hypothetical stress coping scenarios. Results showed a three-cluster model best fit the data, with membership to health clusters differentiated by age, perceived stress, general health, and subjective well-being. The clusters were labeled by the primary health outcome (i.e., perceived stress) and age group (1) Low-stress Youth characterized by ages 16-24; (2) Low-stress Seniors characterized by ...

The Uncommon Impact of Common Environmental Details on Walking in Older Adults

International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 2017

Walking is the most common form of physical activity amongst older adults. Older adults' walking ... more Walking is the most common form of physical activity amongst older adults. Older adults' walking behaviors have been linked to objective and perceived neighborhood and street-level environmental attributes, such as pavement quality and mixed land uses. To help identify components of walkable environments, this paper examines some of these environmental attributes and explores their influence on this population's walking behaviors. It draws on focus group and interview data collected from 22 purposively sampled older adults aged 60 years and over. These participants presented a range of functional and cognitive impairments including stroke and dementia. In line with past research, we detail how various everyday aspects of urban environments, such as steps, curbs and uneven pavements, can, in combination with person-related factors, complicate older adults' outdoor mobility while others, such as handrails and benches, seem to support and even encourage movement. Importantly, we delineate the influence of perceptions on mobility choices. We found that, in some instances, it is the meanings and possibilities that older adults derive from aspects of the environment, such as street cameras and underpasses, rather than the aspects per se, which shape behavior. The implications for policy and practice are considered.

Landscape Perceptions and Use of Green Space

Landscape Perceptions and Use of Green Space: Sections 3.2.1- 3.2.4 cover Introduction; Focus groups; Urban green space and stress household survey; and Urban green space and stress, cortisol survey

Older People, Outdoor Access and Quality of Life

The Influence of the Local Neighbourhood Environment on Walking Levels during the Walking for Wellbeing in the West Pedometer-Based Community Intervention

Journal of Environmental and Public Health, 2012

We investigated the relationship between walking levels and the local neighbourhood physical envi... more We investigated the relationship between walking levels and the local neighbourhood physical environment during the Walking for Wellbeing in the West (WWW) randomised pedometer-based community intervention. Walking activity was recorded as step counts at baseline (n=76), and at 3 months (n=57), 6 months (n=54), and 12 months (n=45) post-intervention. Objective physical environment data were obtained from GIS datasets and street surveys conducted using the SWAT audit tool. Sixty-nine environment variables were reduced to eight environment factors using principal axis factoring, and the relationship between environment factors and (i) step counts, and (ii) the change in step counts relative to baseline, was examined using hierarchical multiple linear regression, controlling for age, gender, income, and deprivation. Five environment factors were significant predictors of step counts, but none were significant predictors of the change in step counts relative to baseline. None of the dem...

Geddes, Zoos and the Valley Section

The development of Edinburgh Zoological Garden was a pioneering example of the modern approach to... more The development of Edinburgh Zoological Garden was a pioneering example of the modern approach to animal display, placing animals in naturalistic settings that demanded innovative landscape design. The concept for Edinburgh Zoo, opened in 1913, was devised by Patrick Geddes and developed in collaboration with Frank C Mears and Geddes's daughter, Norah.

Landscape and health

Research in Landscape Architecture

Communities facing urban depopulation: exploring people’s environmental preferences. A case study of Lisbon, Portugal

ABSTRACTThis study focuses on the relative importance for resident’s wellbeing of different attri... more

Review of Research in Landscape and Woodland Perceptions and Research in Landscape Aesthetics and Experience

Research on Public Art : Assessing Impact and Quality Final Report OPENspace : the research centre for inclusive access to outdoor environments

Wild Adventure Space: its role in teenagers’ lives

This research was commissioned to explore what contribution the natural environment can make in r... more This research was commissioned to explore what contribution the natural environment can make in relation to current debates about young people today, including indications in other work (for example, www.naturalengland.org.uk/ourwork/enjoying/res earch/futuretrends/default.aspx) that teenagers might be considered "a lost generation", turned off from interest in natural environment. The findings confirm:  Young people do not necessarily "turn off" to nature and the environment when they become teenagers: they still enjoy and value "adventurous" activities that challenge them.

Are Rurality, Area Deprivation, Access to Outside Space, and Green Space Associated with Mental Health during the COVID-19 Pandemic? A Cross Sectional Study (CHARIS-E)

International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health

The study investigated if rurality, area deprivation, access to outside space (Study 1), and freq... more The study investigated if rurality, area deprivation, access to outside space (Study 1), and frequency of visiting and duration in green space (Study 2) are associated with mental health during the COVID-19 pandemic and examined if individual demographics (age, gender, COVID-19 shielding status) and illness beliefs have a direct association with mental health during the COVID-19 pandemic. A serial, weekly, nationally representative, cross-sectional, observational study of randomly selected adults was conducted in Scotland during June and July 2020. If available, validated instruments were used to measure psychological distress, individual demographics, illness beliefs, and the following characteristics: Rurality, area deprivation, access to residential outside space, frequency of visiting, and duration in green space. Simple linear regressions followed by examination of moderation effect were conducted. There were 2969 participants in Study 1, of which 1765 (59.6%) were female, 349 ...

Effects of Urban Green Space on Environmental Health, Equity and Resilience

Theory and Practice of Urban Sustainability Transitions

Modern urban life style is associated with chronic stress, insufficient physical activity and exp... more Modern urban life style is associated with chronic stress, insufficient physical activity and exposure to anthropogenic environmental hazards. Urban green space, such as parks, playgrounds, and residential greenery, can promote mental and physical health and reduce morbidity and mortality in urban residents by providing psychological relaxation and stress alleviation, stimulating social cohesion, supporting physical activity, and reducing exposure to air pollutants, noise and excessive heat. This chapter summarizes the pathways that link green spaces to health and wellbeing, and discusses available evidence of specific beneficial effects such as improved mental health, reduced risks of cardiovascular disease, obesity, diabetes and death, and improved pregnancy outcomes Specific attention is given to benefits of urban green space for disadvantaged groups and their impacts on health equity. Potential health risks associated with urban green spaces are also discussed along with approaches to reducing or eliminating these risks through proper design and maintenance of green spaces.

Perspectives on “Novel” Techniques for Designing Age-Friendly Homes and Neighborhoods with Older Adults

International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health

Worldwide, growth in the older population creates a pressing need to develop supportive environme... more Worldwide, growth in the older population creates a pressing need to develop supportive environments that enhance quality of life as people age. Too often, built environments present barriers and challenges to older adults that compromise independent living and adversely affect health and life outcomes. Designing homes, buildings, and neighborhoods with older adults, through exercises in participatory or co-design, could help ensure that environments are better able to facilitate healthy aging. However, while it is potentially advantageous to involve this age group in environmental design decisions, doing so can be difficult. Analysis of and guidance on effective ways to involve older adults in these activities could make the challenge easier. With this aim in mind, this article provides critical perspectives on eight “less traditional” engagement techniques—walking interviews, photovoice, photo-elicitation, Talking Mats®, participatory mapping, drawing, model-making, and the “Desig...

Co-production of “nature walks for wellbeing” public health intervention for people with severe mental illness: use of theory and practical know-how

BMC Public Health

Background Interventions need to be developed in a timely and relatively low-cost manner in order... more Background Interventions need to be developed in a timely and relatively low-cost manner in order to respond to, and quickly address, major public health concerns. We aimed to quickly develop an intervention to support people with severe mental ill-health, that is systematic, well founded both in theory and evidence, without the support of significant funding or resource. In this article we aim to open and elucidate the contents of the ‘black box’ of intervention development. Methods A multidisciplinary team of seven academics and health practitioners, together with service user input, developed an intervention in 2018 by scoping the literature, face-to-face meetings, email and telephone. Researcher fieldnotes were analysed to describe how the intervention was developed in four iterative steps. Results In step 1 and 2, scoping the literature showed that, a) people with severe mental illness have high mortality risk in part due to high levels of sedentary behaviour and low levels of ...

The impact of walking in different urban environments on brain activity in older people

Cities & Health

Neurourbanism looks to understand the relationship between urban environments and mental well-bei... more Neurourbanism looks to understand the relationship between urban environments and mental well-being and is well placed to assess the role of these environments on the urbanised and ageing global population. This study builds on research using mobile electroencephalography (EEG) to understand the impact of urban environments (busy, quiet and green urban spaces) on brain activity. Ninety-five older participants aged over 65 years undertook one of six walks in an urban neighbourhood, transitioning between two distinct environmental settings. This study explores changes in alpha (associated with relaxation) and beta (associated with attention) brain activity recorded during walking in differing urban environments. Neural activity significantly varies as participants walk between urban busy and green settings, with reduced levels of low beta activity in the green setting, suggesting attention changes consistent with Attention Restoration Theory. Levels of alpha activity significantly varied between the urban busy and the urban quiet settings, with increases in the urban busy setting. There were no significant differences in EEG activity between the urban green and urban quiet settings, suggesting that the magnitude of environmental contrast between the urban busy context and other urban settings is an important factor in understanding the effects of these spaces on brain activity.

Enhancing Health Through Access to Nature: How Effective are Interventions in Woodlands in Deprived Urban Communities? A Quasi-experimental Study in Scotland, UK

Sustainability

High prevalence of poor mental health is a major public health problem. Natural environments may ... more High prevalence of poor mental health is a major public health problem. Natural environments may contribute to mitigating stress and enhancing health. However, there is little evidence on whether community-level interventions intended to increase exposure to natural environments can improve mental health and related behaviours. In the first study of its kind, we evaluated whether the implementation of a programme designed to improve the quality of, and access to, local woodlands in deprived communities in Scotland, UK, was associated with lower perceived stress or other health-related outcomes, using a controlled, repeat cross-sectional design with a nested prospective cohort. Interventions included physical changes to the woodlands and community engagement activities within the woodlands, with data collected at baseline (2013) and post-intervention (2014 and 2015). The interventions were, unexpectedly, associated with increased perceived stress compared to control sites. However, w...

Life course of place: A longitudinal study of mental health and place

Transactions of the Institute of British Geographers

A multitude of studies have demonstrated that individual circumstances throughout life influence ... more A multitude of studies have demonstrated that individual circumstances throughout life influence subsequent health and well-being outcomes. The life-course perspective emphasises that health is affected by the accumulation of social and economic (dis)advantages over an individual's life but, importantly, also that there can also be critical periods where the effects of exposure can be greater. Yet few researchers have applied a life-course perspective to the study of health and place, which has resulted in a partial understanding of the dynamics of person-health-place relations. By explicitly recognising that places are spatial-temporal products, and applying a novel longitudinal life-course approach, this study examines the opportunities for incorporating aspects of place into a life course framework. The focus is the influence of neighbourhood social deprivation and provision of local green space on mental health (particularly anxiety and depression). Historical and contemporary place-based information from the Lothian region of Scotland are combined with data from a cohort of individuals born in 1936 (the Lothian Birth Cohort 1936) to consider the influence of these environmental factors over the life course on mental health outcomes later in life. The results establish the utility of the life course of place approach, and demonstrate how this concept can be operationalised using historical data sources. The findings suggest that, after adjustment, residing in the most socially disadvantaged neighbourhoods in childhood was detrimental to mental health outcomes at age 70. Further, green space provision in early life environments is related to mental health outcomes in later life, but any effect may be restricted to those residing in socially disadvantaged places, and dependent on the specific mental health outcome being considered. The findings emphasise the potential of the life course of place approach for enhancing the evidence base considering the relationships between health and place.

Correction to: The Aging Urban Brain: Analyzing Outdoor Physical Activity Using the Emotiv Affectiv Suite in Older People

Journal of urban health : bulletin of the New York Academy of Medicine, Jan 23, 2017

Please note that the legend to Fig. 1 has been modified since this article was originally publish... more

Coping with Stress in Deprived Urban Neighborhoods: What Is the Role of Green Space According to Life Stage?

Frontiers in psychology, 2017

This study follows previous research showing how green space quantity and contact with nature (vi... more This study follows previous research showing how green space quantity and contact with nature (via access to gardens/allotments) helps mitigate stress in people living in deprived urban environments (Ward Thompson et al., 2016). However, little is known about how these environments aid stress mitigation nor how stress levels vary in a population experiencing higher than average stress. This study used Latent Class Analysis (LCA) to, first, identify latent health clusters in the same population (n = 406) and, second, to relate health cluster membership to variables of interest, including four hypothetical stress coping scenarios. Results showed a three-cluster model best fit the data, with membership to health clusters differentiated by age, perceived stress, general health, and subjective well-being. The clusters were labeled by the primary health outcome (i.e., perceived stress) and age group (1) Low-stress Youth characterized by ages 16-24; (2) Low-stress Seniors characterized by ...

The Uncommon Impact of Common Environmental Details on Walking in Older Adults

International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 2017

Walking is the most common form of physical activity amongst older adults. Older adults' walking ... more Walking is the most common form of physical activity amongst older adults. Older adults' walking behaviors have been linked to objective and perceived neighborhood and street-level environmental attributes, such as pavement quality and mixed land uses. To help identify components of walkable environments, this paper examines some of these environmental attributes and explores their influence on this population's walking behaviors. It draws on focus group and interview data collected from 22 purposively sampled older adults aged 60 years and over. These participants presented a range of functional and cognitive impairments including stroke and dementia. In line with past research, we detail how various everyday aspects of urban environments, such as steps, curbs and uneven pavements, can, in combination with person-related factors, complicate older adults' outdoor mobility while others, such as handrails and benches, seem to support and even encourage movement. Importantly, we delineate the influence of perceptions on mobility choices. We found that, in some instances, it is the meanings and possibilities that older adults derive from aspects of the environment, such as street cameras and underpasses, rather than the aspects per se, which shape behavior. The implications for policy and practice are considered.