Towards improving the walkability of the city for all. Feedback on the development of accessibility around a shopping center in Montreal
Résumé
This article focuses on seniors' accessibility to a Montreal shopping centre (Alexis Nihon) for which accessible design has been implemented. The shopping centre is both an incentive to walk and a meeting place for seniors. Acting on accessibility of this type of place in the city is likely to contribute to seniors' mobility and health. This article develops an analytical framework using the post-occupancy evaluation (POE) approach. Initially, using the MAPPA walkability audit and other observation grids, urban routes toward the shopping centre as well its entrances were characterized. Secondly, we confronted this characterization to the point of view of seniors who regularly visit this shopping centre. The results show the performance of design adaptations around the destination in terms of urban accessibility, although several obstacles may make seniors' walking experience less pleasant or even unsafe. As a result, we assume that urban development around shopping centres must promote the place sociability (seniors' lifestyles) and better align this destination with the rest of the city (mobility). © 2020 Association des amis de la revue de geographie de Lyon. All right reserved.