Older People’s Functionality and Community Participation:An Interdisciplinary Health-Transport Approach for Age-Friendly Cities

The population growth of older people is one of the main challenges in how countries respond to the specific demands of aging, where the main problem is the increase and progression of older people’s dependence. The use of public transport has been called in the literature as the “gateway” to dependency. Transportation is an essential element to be studied in countries trying to implement age-friendly cities that favour healthy aging and old-age functionality. The purpose of this chapter is to describe the relationship between the functionality of older people and their opportunities to participate in significant environments, analysing the impact on their day-to-day activities in the community using public transport as a means to shape friendly cities. Through a literature review, we will explore the implications for aging, functionality, and transportation policies, considering Chile as a case study. The understanding of the issue from an interdisciplinary approach, considering the academic and scientific evidence and the Latin American country with the highest rate of population aging as a case study, makes available an opportunity for countries that are about to experience a similar situation to learn based on experience how to tackle this problem. This chapter raises awareness among professionals, academics, and researchers about the elements related to transportation, its implications, and repercussions on the older population.