A Multidimensional Index for Inclusive Age-Friendly Transit Design: Development and Practical Scenarios

With the accelerating global aging trend, ensuring age-friendly public transportation has become a pressing challenge in urban planning. While existing frameworks, such as the World Health Organization’s Age-Friendly Cities Initiative, provide general guidelines, they lack a systematic and quantitative approach to assessing the age-friendliness of rapid transit spaces. This study bridges this gap by developing an Age-Friendly Performance Index (AFPI) tailored to rapid transit environments. A mixed-method approach was employed, integrating both qualitative and quantitative research. The construction of AFPI incorporated mobile ethnography, case studies, and literature reviews, with findings systematically coded using proceduralized methods. The index was then validated through Exploratory Factor Analysis (EFA) and reliability testing, followed by the application of Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP) and Entropy Weight Method (EWM) for weighting. The study yielded two key findings: (1) A three-layered index structure was developed, comprising the goal level, criterion level, and indicator level. (2) AFPI demonstrated strong internal consistency (Cronbach’s α = 0.929) and high structural validity, with EFA results supporting a four-factor model. AFPI provides a comprehensive and empirically validated framework for evaluating and enhancing the age-friendliness of rapid transit spaces. It serves as a critical tool for bridging the gap between policy guidelines and practical implementation, offering valuable insights for urban planners and policymakers to improve public transportation inclusivity for the elderly.