SMART-AGE - Sustainable Mobility and Accessibility for Resilient Transport in Ageing Urban Environments
Are you 65 or older and would you like to help us get started?
SMART-AGE examines how urban mobility can be made more sustainable, inclusive and responsive to the needs of people over 65. The project starts from the "15-Minute City Transition Pathway", which is committed to active and sustainable travel. It looks specifically at the experiences, thresholds and expectations of older adults in an aging urban context.
SMART-AGE brings together interdisciplinary expertise from different fields (transportation management, social gerontology, economics and law) to make mobility systems more inclusive for older people. The project focuses on innovation by connecting policies with the perspectives of both users and providers, by bringing together knowledge from different sciences, and by allowing older people to actively participate in the research and share their experiences.
SMART-AGE uses a multi-pronged approach:
- The demand side: gaining insights into the needs, barriers and expectations of seniors
- The supply side: analyzing how mobility providers can tailor their services to seniors
- Policy makers: involve policy at the local and regional level in mobility solutions
Expected impact:
- Improved accessibility and mobility options for seniors.
- Less dependence on the car and a smaller carbon footprint
- Increased social inclusion and well-being among older adults
- Policy recommendations for sustainable mobility solutions in cities
SMART-AGE is a research project within the European Driving Urban Transitions (DUT) partnership, and is supported by the European Commission through the Horizon Europe program, with co-funding from Innoviris for the Brussels case study.
Expected output
- Toolbox for self-assessment of urban mobility policies
- Toolbox for age-proofing mobility business models
- Guide with good practices and lessons learned
- Policy brief with recommendations for improvements at multiple policy levels
- Policy brief on mobility needs and preferences of older residents in different neighborhoods
