Skip to Content
Streetsblog USA home
Streetsblog USA home
Log In
Elderly & Disabled

Study Links Walkable Neighborhoods to Prevention of Cognitive Decline

Older adults who live in walkable neighborhoods stay in better shape, physically and mentally, than those who live in car-dependent areas, according to a new study.

Photo: AARP
Photo: AARP
Photo: AARP

In a study presented last weekend to the Gerontological Society of America, University of Kansas assistant professor Amber Watts examined 26 subjects with mild Alzheimer's Disease and 30 healthy control subjects. She tracked health outcomes over two years, controlling for home price, income, gender, and education.

Watts found that subjects living in walkable neighborhoods, from both groups, had lower body mass index, healthier metabolisms, and better memory and cognition. This was particularly true in neighborhoods that had complicated paths to destinations, she found.

“There seems to be a component of a person’s mental representation of the spatial environment, for example, the ability to picture the streets like a mental map,” Watts said in a press release. “Complex environments may require more complex mental processes to navigate. Our findings suggest that people with neighborhoods that require more mental complexity actually experience less decline in their mental functioning over time.”

Older adults are less likely to get regular exercise than the general population, but walking is one form of activity that is considered safe and healthy for people with Alzheimer's. Neighborhood attributes like good sidewalks, generous crossing time at intersections, benches, and closely spaced parks and destinations can help encourage older people to walk for transportation, Watts said.

Stay in touch

Sign up for our free newsletter

More from Streetsblog USA

USDOT Secretary Sean Duffy Is Dead Wrong About Bike Lanes

The Secretary of Transportation says he hasn't seen enough data to believe in the benefits of bike lanes. So we put together an explainer help him out — mostly using information from his own department.

April 25, 2025

Friday Video: Check Out Lorde On a Bike!

The Kiwi singer is on the top of the charts — and in our bike-riding hearts.

April 25, 2025

Friday’s Headlines Dodge Death

Thankfully, traffic deaths have started to fall. But cars and drivers are still killing too many people. Why?

April 25, 2025

Breaking: US DOT is Coming For America’s ‘DEI’ Dollars, Threatening ‘Sanctuary’ Cities With Pulled Funds

Advocates are raising the alarm about yet another vague and disturbingly broad letter from Sean Duffy — and the fierce battle that's likely to follow it.

April 24, 2025
See all posts