Promoting sustainable urban tourism in Historic Sari, Iran through GIS-based walkability planning

Despite tourist attractions such as valuable historical buildings and axes, the historical district of Sari City has failed to attract visitors. By utilizing GIS route optimization and modeling exclusive pedestrian networks, this article seeks to improve walkability and promote tourism. This study concentrates on the Iranian city of Sari and emphasises sustainable urban development and tourism in urban planning. By incorporating the inverse desirability index of each network edge as a cost factor, an optimised tourist route is created that connects and preserves cultural heritage while efficiently connecting historical locations. The research demonstrates the applicability of this methodology to historical cities with comparable characteristics, providing an innovative approach to sidewalk modeling and accessibility analysis. Utilizing a multi-criteria GIS-based approach substantially enhances walkability in historic urban environments, according to the article's findings. The conclusion of the study highlights the creation of a more efficient tourist route in Sari, Iran, as well as its potential for boosting tourism and promoting sustainable urban communities in other historical areas.