Assessing Liveable Cities for Older People in an Urban District in Turkey Using the Analytical Hierarchy Process

Abstract

The key concepts availability and accessibility have been taken into consideration in urban studies as well as the health and social aspects of ageing. These terms are in close relation with the "active ageing", "age-friendly city" and "liveable city" concepts. These concepts were created by the UN, the World Health Organization, and other institutions aiming to increase the quality of life of older individuals and to regulate their living environments in an optimal way for an active and independent life. Improving accessibility and availability of facilities for older people in urban areas is crucial to ensure that older people are able to meet their own needs as well as prevent their exclusion from society. The planning of cities that prevents the social exclusion of older people and provides an independent way of living is the main objective of the concept of liveable cities. From this point of view, this study aims to evaluate the existing opportunities in an urban area in the context of liveability. Out of the multi-criteria decision-making models, analytic hierarchy process (AHP) and geographic information systems (GIS) were therefore used in this research. Three main districts of Kepez, with the highest population of older individuals, have been chosen. According to the findings of the study, the weight of health services has the highest score compared to other criteria. The liveability scores and grading of the districts were obtained using the AHP matrix. In the study, it was concluded that a multi-criteria analysis could be carried out with quantitative data. The real land use and the close environment of the research area should also be considered in the evaluation process.