Ri-disegnare i quartieri per una popolazione che invecchia: il caso di Santa Marta a Venezia

The global demographic landscape is increasingly characterised by an ageing population, particularly in urban areas. This trend necessitates comprehensive consideration of the needs of older adults, calling for both physical and social adaptations across all scales of the built environment, in alignment with the World Health Organisation’s concept of age-friendly cities and communities. This paper presents a research study focused on a specific case: the Santa Marta neighbourhood in Venice - an exceptional urban context, particularly in terms of environmental accessibility. The neighbourhood scale is examined as an optimal “urban unit” for promoting active and healthy ageing, strengthening communities, and enhancing both social and spatial inclusion. The research aimed to assess the age-friendliness of the Santa Marta neighbourhood through a series of analyses and field surveys, identifying existing challenges and criticalities. Based on these findings, the study proposes a set of necessary interventions to support the development of age-friendly urban spaces, along with a replicable methodology applicable to other urban contexts.