Evaluation of the realization of the indicators of the elderly-oriented city in the old and inefficient context of Sari City

Elderly and disabled people are among the groups that face numerous challenges in the city. Despite their desire to participate in social interactions and use public spaces, they do not have access to suitable urban spaces that provide them with the possibility of independent living. The present research is of an applied nature and is a descriptive survey in terms of methodology. The components of an elderly-friendly city have been extracted based on the World Health Organization guidelines for such cities. The overall results of the study show that the lack of necessary infrastructure for disabled and elderly individuals in the inefficient and old fabric of Sari City has made their access to urban facilities difficult. The urban space mismatch, which has arisen from the organic growth of the city in recent decades, is mainly found in this part of the city and has led to their isolation due to non-compliance with their needs and desires. In general, half of the research hypotheses were accepted, while the other half were rejected. The situation in the open space and transportation infrastructure section was evaluated as less undesirable than other sections, while the social services and housing sections were somewhat better. In general, turning Sari into an elder-friendly city or its equivalent has a long way to go due to its physical, structural, and organic growth shortcomings and weaknesses.