Structure–Behavior Coordination of Age-Friendly Community Facilities: A Social Network Analysis Model of Guangzhou’s Cases
Year: 2025
Type: article
Abstract: Rapid population aging calls for a shift from static facility configuration toward understanding how spatial structures coordinate with everyday behavior. This study develops a structure–behavior coordination framework to examine how the spatial embedding of community service centers and surrounding facilities aligns with older adults’ mobility and activity chains. Using Guangzhou as a case, three representative facility aggregation forms—clustered, linear, and patchy—were identified through POI-based spatial analysis. Behavioral mapping supported by Public Participation GIS (PPGIS) and social network analysis captured facility co-use and path continuity, while rank-based measures (Rank-QAP and Rank-Biased Overlap) evaluated correspondence between structural and behavioral centralities. Findings show form-sensitive rather than typological coordination: the clustered case (FY) exhibits compact, mixed-use integration; the linear case (DJ) requires ground-level access along main pedestrian corridors; and the patchy case (LG) relies on a few highly accessible dual-core nodes where improved connectivity strengthens cohesion. Everyday facilities such as markets, parks, and plazas act as behavioral anchors linking routine routes. The framework offers a transferable tool and comparable metrics for diagnosing alignment between built structure and everyday behavior, guiding adaptive, evidence-based planning for age-friendly community systems.
Source: Buildings
Authors: Xiao Xiao, Jian Xu, Xiaolei Zhu, Wei Zhang
Language: English
Subfield: Building and Construction
Field: Engineering
Domain: Physical Sciences
Open Access status: gold
Estimated APC paid: $3,137
Award: G1133487363
OpenAlex ID: W4415401111