Neighborhood Physical Activity Spaces, Formal Social Participation, and Life Satisfaction of Midlife and Older Adults

Background: The New Urbanism (NU) movement emphasizes pedestrian-oriented designs, walkability, and mixed‑use neighborhoods (e.g., residential, recreational, commercial) that prioritize community life over car‑dependent suburban sprawl. NU neighborhood design principles have been theorized to align with the active aging framework that promotes well-being among older adults. However, few empirical studies examine which specific neighborhood resources consistent with NU design are protective of older adults’ well-being. Further, scholars have argued that the association between neighborhood-built environment and well-being depends on residents’ social capital. Although organized social participation has been robustly recognized as an important source of social capital, no studies have examined its role as a moderator between neighborhood resources and older adults’ life satisfaction. This study (1) identifies which NU neighborhood resources are significantly associated with the life satisfaction of middle-aged and older residents living in a coastal community in Northeast Florida, and (2) whether these associations depend on their organized social participation.

Methods: This study draws on data collected from a multi-mode (online, in-person, mail) assessment survey on community design and well-being among middle-aged and older adults (n = 97). Ordinary Least Squares (OSL) regression with robust standard errors was conducted to identify which community resources (i.e., neighborhood spaces for preferred physical activities, good range of business, fresh/health food) are significantly associated with residents’ life satisfaction. We then assessed the interaction between access to neighborhood resources and organized social participation (i.e., participation in organized volunteering, organized social groups, and religious participation) in OLS.

Results: About 68.04% of participants were female and had a mean age of 70.81 years (SD=8.96). The perceived accessibility of neighborhood physical activity spaces was positively associated with better life satisfaction (β = 2.875, p = 0.028) among older residents, whereas perceived access to other community resources (e.g., businesses, food) was not. The significant interaction between access to neighborhood physical activity spaces and social participation (β = -6.138, p = 0.006) further suggests that the life satisfaction benefits of access to physical activity spaces are primarily concentrated among those with lower organized social participation. Results from marginal effect analysis showed that among residents who did not regularly participate in two or more organized social activities, those with easy access to neighborhood physical activity spaces had better life satisfaction than those who did not. However, life satisfaction did not differ among those who regularly participated in multiple organized social activities, regardless of whether they perceived easy access to neighborhood physical activity spaces.

Implications. Future studies can examine how other features of the NU community within/beyond the neighborhood shape older residents’ life satisfaction. Findings imply that access to neighborhood spaces for preferred physical activities and organized social participation may substitute one another in sustaining the life satisfaction of older adults in the NU and its neighboring communities. Although future longitudinal studies with larger and more representative sample sizes are needed, community design that improves perceived accessibility to neighborhood physical activity spaces may be particularly relevant to the life satisfaction of individuals without regular participation in multiple organized social activities.