The relationships between social networks, mobility patterns and travel behaviour among the elderly in Tel Aviv-Yafo

Dombrowski Daliah and Plaut Pnina (Advisor)

Understanding the relationships between social networks, mobility patterns and travel behaviour among elderly, touches upon two new and current frontiers in research.

For one, travel behaviour analysis is incomplete without an understanding of the social dimension. Social networks influence and determine our attitudes and behaviour and vice versa. Furthermore, social networks undergo dynamic changes as life-cycle events happen.  Social structures are changing rapidly and Internet and Communication Technologies (ICT) allow increasingly new forms of social interaction.

In addition to the social network dimension, this study will also pick up on contemporary demographic trends. In Israel and other developed countries, population is ageing and simultaneously the new generations of elderly will lead more active lifestyles and enjoy greater wealth and mobility than their predecessors. As the baby boomer generation enters retirement age, a new cohort emerges, which will largely contributes to leisure and social travel.

Current transportation models have failed to account for the impact of social networks on travel behaviour and also to adequately capture the segment of the elderly population.

The aim of this study is to explore the relationships between social networks, mobility patterns and travel behaviour among elderly in Tel Aviv-Yafo. The center of the research will be interviews with Tel Aviv-Yafo residents aged 65+, focusing on mapping different dimensions of social networks, social activity, interaction and mobility. The evaluation of data collected in the interviews will consist of qualitatively identifying mobility and social network clusters while also looking at traditional travel behaviour variables. In addition, the study will examine data from the Survey of Health, Ageing and Retirement in Europe (including Israel), as well as mobility, socio-demographic and socio-economic data on elderly and transportation in Tel Aviv-Yafo.

Results of the research are envisioned to be of indicative nature and to establish central areas of concern for the research of social networks, travel behaviour and mobility patterns among elderly in general and in Tel Aviv-Yafo in specific.