In the last decade the mobile turn in the social sciences has emphasised that transport is more than moving from A to B and in gerontological terms there is increased recognition of the importance of mobility, in its many forms, for older people's health and wellbeing. There is a need to ensure mobility for older people to keep connected to communities, reduce isolation and loneliness and encourage independence and ageing well.
The group is run by Charles Musselwhite and Ben Spencer. It includes a mix of BSG members and non-members from Universities in the UK and beyond, policy and research think tanks and government. Please contact us if you would like to join our email list.
The Special Interest Group has organised the following:
One-day seminar: Later life mobility - From home to neighbourhood and community
Friday 21 April 2017 Oxford Brookes University
This included Gordon Stokes, University of Oxford, Transport Studies Unit speaking on Age and generational effects in travel behaviour and Catharine Ward Thompson, University of Edinburgh, OPENspace Research Centre on Habitats for active ageing: age-friendly place-making.
In the afternoon we travelled to the eastern edge of Oxford to meet colleagues from Oxfordshire County Council Public Health and developers Grosvenor Estates and discuss how the design of the new Barton Park development enhanced older people’s mobility.
Symposium, BSG Annual Conference 2017: Special Interest Group on Transport and Mobility
Friday 7 July 2017 Swansea University
This session included:
Charles Musselwhite, Swansea University: 7 things working with older people and transport & mobility has taught me
Wakana Hara, Japan Women’s University and Oxford Brookes University: how older people find their way in residential areas of UK and Japan Carol Holland, Aston University: Mobility and depression and the influence of an accessible environment
Tanya Wilkins, Oxford University: Why synthesise research? Creating sustainable cities and urban areas in an ageing world
David Sinclair, International Longevity Centre UK: A vision for the future of mobility in an ageing society
We are seeking further funding to run one-day seminars and symposia and aim to respond collaboratively to policy initiatives and research calls. Please get in touch if you have any suggestions for events or initiatives – we look forward to hearing from you.