Proximity planning for urban electrification: Walkable access to EV charging infrastructure in Montreal

As cities pursue low-carbon mobility transitions, equitable access to electric vehicle (EV) infrastructure remains a persistent planning challenge, particularly for aging populations with reduced mobility. This study evaluates walkable access to public EV charging stations on Montréal Island, with a focus on elderly care facilities, highlighting that equitable, age-sensitive charger placement is increasingly vital as the city’s aging population risks being overlooked in current infrastructure planning. Using GIS-based spatial analysis, we model accessibility to public EV charging infrastructure for both the general adult population and older adults, applying age-adjusted walking speeds within a 15-minute threshold. The results show that walk-up accessibility is systematically lower for older adults and is strongly associated with median age and the spatial concentration of urban amenities. We identify “double-burden” zones where demographic vulnerability (higher shares of older residents) intersects with infrastructure gaps, underscoring the limitations of proximity-based planning when it is decoupled from equity considerations. Building on these findings, our focused analysis of elderly care facilities and their surrounding walkable environments exposes a critical infrastructure gap: nearly half of these sites have no public EV charging stations within a reasonable walking distance. To inform targeted interventions, we overlay areas of poor charger accessibility with point-of-interest (POI) density and apply a simple greedy siting heuristic, identifying priority zones for deployment that maximize both need and broader community benefit. To contextualize these disparities, we develop a causal loop diagram that links charger deployment, equity objectives, and market dynamics, framing policy levers for equity-based planning of EV charging infrastructure. This research offers a transferable framework for cities aiming to align EV infrastructure with inclusive, proximity-based urban planning goals, ensuring that the electrification transition does not leave aging populations behind