Introduction: Urban livability is a key concept for assessing the quality of the urban living environment, encompassing environmental quality, spatial justice, and citizen satisfaction with urban services and infrastructure. Within this context, physical indicators hold particular significance due to their role in shaping the city's spatial organization and determining the quality of access to services and infrastructure.

Objective: The primary objective of this research is to analyze the physical livability of the city of Ardabil and to rank its urban districts based on assessments of livability indicators, utilizing multi-criteria decision-making (MCDM) models and Geographic Information Systems (GIS).

Scope: The study focuses on the city of Ardabil, covering its 15 urban districts.

Methodology: This is an applied study characterized by a descriptive-analytical approach. Following data standardization, the indicators were weighted and prioritized using the MARCOS model, and their spatial distribution was subsequently analyzed within a GIS environment.

Findings: The results indicate that the pattern of physical livability in Ardabil is unbalanced and polarized. Central districts exhibit the highest levels of livability, owing to their historical development and the concentration of urban infrastructure and services. Conversely, peripheral and marginal areas—particularly in the northern and northwestern parts of the city—suffer from a lack of services and inadequate infrastructure.

Conclusion: Enhancing urban livability in Ardabil requires the equitable redistribution of services, the strengthening of physical infrastructure in underserved areas, and the implementation of spatial-based planning strategies. The results of this research can provide a scientific basis for policymaking and sustainable urban management aimed at reducing spatial inequalities.