Investigating Resilience Indicators of Urban Areas Against Earthquakes (case study: Qom City)

Abstract

The primary purpose of this article is to measure urban resilience in earthquake-prone areas of Qom. The concept of resilience, its approaches, the selection of indicators, the description of the evaluation method for weighting the indicators, and the Implementation of the urban resilience index are presented. Atrachli's proposed model is based on resilience indicators, considering the city as a complex system with interacting parts. Urban resilience indicators quantitatively express the level of resilience. After developing the resilience index system, the presented indices were weighted using the Analytical Hierarchy Process (AHP) method. This model was then implemented in the city of Qom, where the value of each index in the 3rd and 4th regions was determined based on a 5-step scale. Finally, using the suggested relationships, the overall level of urban resilience was calculated. The final urban resilience levels in Qom were estimated to be 0.29 for Area 3, and 0.39 for Area 4. In addition, experts' opinions were analyzed to determine their differences and impact on urban resilience. During the implementation of Atrachli's model in the selected regions, it was observed that Region 3 has buildings with high Vulnerability, narrow passages, and difficult access. Urban infrastructures are weak and vulnerable, residents are indifferent to building safety, and many structures are built without considering seismic and engineering regulations. The literacy and cultural levels could be higher than in Region 4, and people need to be trained against hazards and emergency responses. The results show that the width of the streets and main roads, the density, and the ratio of the height of the buildings to the width of the roads are important. location of the governorate's crisis management and the region's municipal building is also essential. A significant issue is that over 50% of the area's fabric is ineffective and worn out. The welfare level is average to low, contributing to the construction of weak houses. However, the area benefits from well-located hospitals, clinics, and fire stations.