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Lack of mobility for older people in rural areas can have profound social and economic consequences, as this study for digital service provider Intel discovered through a novel partnership with Vehicle Design student teams at the Royal College of Art.
Densely populated cities can support transport infrastructures that are multi-modal. But in sparsely populated rural areas, transport options can be significantly reduced and rural communities face a serious loss of mobility. For older people in particular, this can have an adverse effect on being independent – a lack of transport can leave them cut them off from other public services and isolated from family and friends.
Older people also face additional challenges in accessing rural transport. There can be problems in boarding and disembarking from buses and trains, and concerns about personal safety. Services can be intermittent and badly connected, with exposure to the weather, poor quality of roads and long walks at either end of the journey in order to reach the destination.
To explore the implications for digital service providers of supporting greater mobility and independence for older people in rural areas, Intel teamed up with the Royal College of Art to set up a new type of collaborative project. The research context and outcomes were directed by Helen Hamlyn Research Associate Merih Kunur, working in tandem with design scenarios generated by first year Vehicle Design Masters students at the RCA.
The Vehicle Design students were divided into five teams, each working on a different aspect of multi-generational mobility. A field trip to rural Ireland was undertaken and journeys were made by public transport and a local community bus service to experience the problems older people face firsthand. Interviews then followed to fully understand current shortcomings as well as lifestyle and mobility needs and aspirations.
The findings of the study were captured in a book that outlines four issues that impact on rural mobility: independence, identity, inter-generation and integration. Together, these headings address the many complex layers present in looking at rural infrastructure and older people.
The Independence theme looks at enabling personal independence and creating choice in the services and infrastructure around us. Identity investigates the strengthening of community identity and how this can interact with individual identity and relate to local and geographical context. Inter-generation looks at how mobility can aid interaction across the age spectrum in rural settings. Integration describes how transport services can be linked to other services such as healthcare and touches on social and economic integration. Each theme is illustrated in the book with design concepts from the Vehicle Design student teams – these visualise scenarios for change.
A number of key implications for digital service providers resulted from the study. Whilst mobility is often defined in terms of transport, it means much more. Mobility is a key determinant of quality of life for older people: it enables social connection and allows for autonomy and personal independence. A localised focus on mobility provision can have a really positive impact in rural areas. Equally, digital services that encourage independence for older people should be developed around their particular needs and local circumstances.
Research partner: Intel
