Journal of Architecture, Art & Humanistic Science (May 2023)
Transforming Arab Cities into age-friendly cities Indicators of Public Spaces and Buildings
Abstract
Global ageing is on the rise, and ageing is expected to become one of the social challenges of the twenty-first century and will change in all sectors of society, such as financial markets, goods and services, housing, transport and family relations. The age group above 60 years is the most developed group worldwide. This is also evident in the Arab States (ESCWA countries). Although they are now experiencing slow to medium progress, studies and research suggest that this pace will accelerate in the coming decades. The World Health Organization (WHO) has developed a general methodological framework that addresses the issues of older persons. Many countries in the Western world have begun to apply and develop this framework in accordance with the needs and potential of each city, either in the Arab States. The main objective of the research was to build on these experiences and develop a methodology for how to transform Arab cities into cities friendly to older persons, focusing on the urban hub of the outdoor areas and buildings and the development of metrics of the public arenas. To achieve this goal, the research has drawn on the analytical descriptive approach of reports and studies on cities friendly to older persons, as well as on the situation of Ottawa, Canada, and Sharjah, United Arab Emirates, and on how to transform into a city friendly to older persons in general, together with the detailed study of the urban hub of outdoor and building spaces, and the study of indicators of this axis, which is important in the stages of becoming a city friendly to older persons. The research found a methodology that helps decision makers to become a friendly city for older persons in general, and to establish a measure of the efficiency and effectiveness of outdoor and building arenas to meet the requirements of older persons.
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