Abstract
Most of the world’s population is concentrated in accumulated spaces in the form of cities, making the concept of urban planning a significant issue for consideration by decision makers. Urban vulnerability is a major issue which arises in urban management, and is simply defined as how vulnerable various structures in a city are to different hazards. Reducing urban vulnerability and enhancing resilience are considered to be essential steps towards achieving urban sustainability. To date, a vast body of literature has focused on investigating urban systems’ vulnerabilities with regard to natural hazards. However, less attention has been paid to vulnerabilities resulting from man-made hazards. This study proposes to investigate the physical vulnerability of buildings in District 6 of Tehran, Iran, with respect to intentional explosion hazards. A total of 14 vulnerability criteria are identified according to the opinions of various experts, and standard maps for each of these criteria have been generated in a GIS environment. Ultimately, an ordered weighted averaging (OWA) technique was applied to generate vulnerability maps for different risk conditions. The results of the present study indicate that only about 25 percent of buildings in the study area have a low level of vulnerability under moderate risk conditions. Sensitivity analysis further illustrates the robustness of the results obtained. Finally, the paper concludes by arguing that local authorities must focus more on risk-reduction techniques in order to reduce physical vulnerability and achieve urban sustainability.
Highlights
The world population continues to shift to urban areas
The ordered weighted averaging (OWA) operator mentioned in the previous sections can be used to generate vulnerability maps for different risk conditions
The vulnerability maps could provide this awareness under different risk conditions and scenarios
Summary
Cities are loci of capital accumulation, economic growth, political power, social and cultural activities, and technological innovation [1]. This high level of concentration of resources and activities makes cities potentially vulnerable to a variety of natural and man-made risks and disasters. There are different types of vulnerability, and these can be divided into four main categories: physical, social, economic, and environmental [5]. One of the basic ways to create preparedness for hazards is by improving awareness of the degree of vulnerability in different locations and areas of the city. This study aims to analyze the vulnerability of buildings, as major physical urban elements, to intentional explosions, which are a common form of man-made hazard. The vulnerability of the building stock in District 6 of Tehran is evaluated under different risk conditions, varying from the most optimistic to the most pessimistic scenario
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