Proximity and Fear: The Walking Behaviour of Older Adults in the Face of Perceived Insecurity in Chile and Mexico

Autor/es

Alejandra Luneke

Giovanni Vecchio, Alejandro Pérez Duarte

Resumen

The global demographic trend of population ageing poses significant urban challenges for mobility and security. This study examines a small-sample dataset of older adults in Santiago (Chile) and Guadalajara (Mexico) to investigate how victimization and perceived insecurity shape their walking behaviour, challenging the idea that proximity naturally encourages walking. The results show that perceived insecurity shapes older adults’ reported decisions to walk and is associated with specific features of the urban environment, including incivilities and crime. Older adults’ perceptions affect not only their movement patterns but also whether and where they participate in urban life, thereby impacting their overall independence and quality of life. Addressing perceived insecurity is fundamental to developing age-friendly cities.