UNIVERSAL DESIGN APPROACH TO A SMART, SUSTAINABLE, SAFE, AND ACCESSIBLE CITY FOR ALL

Sustainable cities are one of the economic development elements in architecture and urban development, more than half of the world now resides in urban areas. Furthermore, the advancement of technologies such as artificial intelligence creates smart cities to improve urban integration. However, an essential aspect of sustainability that is absent is the inclusion of the elderly and the disabled in the community. It serves as one of the markers of modernity. Rather, it is a prerequisite for developing our cities, making them more sustainable, intelligent, safe, and accommodating to all society segments and achieving equality. Sustainability is not affected by persons, and environmental justice is as important as sustainable development. People with disabilities and the elderly constitute a large proportion of society and this is expected to rise in the upcoming years. Despite widespread support for the inclusion of people with disabilities in society, they were not considered during the design process. Society only sees the able-bodied; therefore, we must link technology and use universal design principles and integrate them with sustainability standards. As a result, the research aims to create an inclusive city and identify barriers to universal design through developing an objective approach framework and a new evaluation method, research was used to generate data by example analysis of various buildings, developing a new design approach of universal design, involving users, experts, people with disabilities, elders, designers, and stakeholders to solve problems with a focus on the city of Alexandria and evaluate it. The paper concludes by speculating about the part that designers can play in implementing a more inclusive design approach to be accessible for all. A society is not smart, sustainable, or secure if it is not accessible.