Access to mobility is essential for people living within any community. Lack of mobility can have profound personal, social and economic consequences.

A key challenge is to design transportation that is inclusive, catering for people of all ages and abilities. Older people, those with disabilities, parents with small children and tourists can particularly find travelling to be a challenge.

Transport in urban and rural areas can vary and has to address different needs. The rise of the suburbs over the last century has defined new landscapes and communities.

There is also current debate between public and private modes of transport with each offering different possibilities, benefits and drawbacks.

Community mobility is not just about transport. It is about enabling social connection and creating personal independence.

Reasons for travel

A survey prepared for the UK Department of Transport looked at patterns of travel for people in four age groups: 50-59 years old, 60- 69 years old, 70-79 years old and 80 years old and over. Respondents described a wide range of journey purposes that fell into three categories:

Social and recreational: these included activities such as going out for a meal, visiting friends or taking part in hobbies or a local club.

Domestic and personal: activities such as shopping or making visits to the doctor, dentist or hairdresser.

Work-based: travelling to and from work as well as travel undertaken as part of a job.
For 50-59 year olds, commuting to work accounted for 22 percent of all journeys made. For 60-69 year olds this figure was eight percent, and amongst those aged 70 and over it was just one percent.

As a result, journeys for some other purposes also increased as a proportion of all travel for these age groups. For example, shopping accounted for 22 percent of all journeys amongst 50-59 year olds, compared to 32 percent for 60-69 year olds and 38 percent amongst those aged 70 and over.

Four key issues

There are four key issues that impact on community mobility: independence, identity, inter-generation and integration. Together, these issues address the many complex layers present in looking at mobility infrastructure. People make gradual changes to their travel habits as their needs and capabilities change and as they get older.

Independence: good mobility is essential in enabling personal independence and creating choice in the services and infrastructure around us. Limited transport options can reduce freedom to move around, connect with the community and complete daily activities. For older people who might be living alone, the opportunity to get out of the house is important for social interaction. Shopping and meeting friends are the two most important reasons for trips, with 68 percent of trips in rural areas taking pace within 3 km of the home.

Identity: a cohesive, vibrant community can only be sustained when the individuals who make up that community identify with the goals, aims and needs of the majority. Mobility plays an important role in strengthening and developing a community identity by maintaining good connections between its individual members. In low-density environments such as suburbs and rural areas inadequate transport can result in a sense of isolation and, in extreme cases, depression or ill health.

Inter-generation: this looks at how mobility can aid interaction across the age spectrum. Although older people can be reliant in some way on children, grandchildren or neighbours for transport, they are reluctant to ask for help all the time. Populations do not remain static. Many rural areas witness high rates of in-migration amongst older, retired people attracted to the idyllic image of country living and out-migration amongst young adults who leave for the city seeking better jobs and social activities. Older and younger travellers have different needs, but systems and services should always cater for the older, by default. Younger people will never complain that a train is too accessible or signage too easy to read.

Integration: this describes how transport services can be linked to other services such as healthcare and touches on social and economic integration. Mobility is not just about connecting people – it is also about connecting services and support systems so that they work seamlessly. Shops, post offices and primary care services are being closed down with negative impact for rural and suburban areas. People are forced to travel further to get the help they need. Healthcare is also affected as people travel increasing distances to see GP’s or visit hospitals. For older people and those with long-term illness who need regular access to healthcare, this can pose real difficulties.

Go Steady from Helen Hamlyn Centre for Design on Vimeo

Caddy from Helen Hamlyn Centre for Design on Vimeo

FWD from Helen Hamlyn Centre for Design on Vimeo

Hong Kong Journey from Helen Hamlyn Centre for Design on Vimeo

Imagination from Helen Hamlyn Centre for Design on Vimeo

Underground from Helen Hamlyn Centre for Design on Vimeo

Wayfinding from Helen Hamlyn Centre for Design on Vimeo