The Rights of the Elderly to the City in Kermanshah

Abstract The aim of this study was to investigate the rights of the elderly to the city. The theoretical approach of the present study is based on Henri Lefebvre's theory of the "production of space" and "the right to the city" and the method of study is ethnographic. The technique of data collection used is observation and interview. Accordingly, 20 interviews were conducted through theoretical sampling. The results of the research show that sidewalks and streets are problematic for use, access, and availability for elderly people due to the high structure of concrete tables, inequality and disproportionate furniture; green spaces, cafes, alleys, and pathways are among the spatial sites of the neighborhoods that are determenants of facilitating the movement, settlement, and accommodation of the elderly but various defects deprive the elderly of memorizing, protecting and using the city. Social welfare and social organizations of the elderly have an unfavorable position for the elderly, and welfare services have been limited to medical and psychotherapy. The home for the elderly has become a supportive space against external hazards; it is more like a sanatorium than a place for the elderly to play a great deal of interaction. Finally, many psychological and existential injuries such as anxiety, depression, loneliness, and isolation, are not individualistic but are rooted in neglecting the right of the elderly to the city. Keywords: Spatial Deeds, Production of Space, the Right to the City, Elderly Citizens, Kermanshah