Abstract:

It is predicted that the proportion of the older adult population worldwide is increasing and will continue to increase. International organizations have been making efforts since the 1980s to find solutions to the social problems brought about by the increasing older adult population and the diversifying needs of older adults. The World Health Organization (WHO), one of these organizations, argues that an important issue to be addressed in the aging process is to support active aging and at this point, the concept of an "Age-Friendly City" is emphasized in order to lead an active life in communities such as cities, municipalities or towns around the world. In this context, in this study, in the context of an "age-friendly city", the ways in which some actors (older adults, local and central government representatives, academicians, NGO representatives) who play an active role in the field of aging in Izmir province define the age-friendly city and how they evaluate the age-friendly city and active aging are examined. In line with the purpose of the study, a qualitative research design was adopted and the findings obtained from the participants with a phenomenological approach were evaluated with the dimensions of "age-friendly city" and "active aging". As a result of the research, it was concluded that the definitions of the age-friendly city differed for each group; in addition, it was concluded that the design of the age-friendly city, which all participants differed in the definition, would support active aging.

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