Analysis of active mobility and active aging : insights on green street design and age-friendly policies in Portugal

Abstract

Abstract: The green city approach has been an emergent trend, especially given the urgency of mitigating climate change. Simultaneously, active aging policies have been advocating a safe barrier-free public space for older people. It is paramount to bridge the knowledge gap between the planning of active mobility and green streets as a response to climate change mitigation policies and the active aging and age-friendly framework. Thus, we aim to analyze: i) how active mobility and active aging policies evolved in Portugal, and ii) how active aging and older people as users were considered in the active mobility policy implementation and the green streets design in Portugal. We concluded that the active mobility policies in Portugal were driven by climate agreements, but that Lisbon began autonomously to implement its green streets network mainly from 2016 to 2017, even in the absence of a congruent national strategy. Despite this, the context of the older people was only tenuously considered in the design of these initiatives. Climate mitigation programs and green streets projects are currently not fully equipped to address the needs of older people. Moreover, the planning of programs and urban infrastructure in a truly age-friendly manner is still lacking