Bilingual
En/Fa
Geographical Research is Published in both Persian and English Full-text.
Volume 37, Issue 1 (2022)
GeoRes 2022, 37(1): 69-80 |
Back to browse issues page
Article Type:
Subject:
History
Received: 2021/12/30 | Accepted: 2022/01/21 | Published: 2022/03/10
Received: 2021/12/30 | Accepted: 2022/01/21 | Published: 2022/03/10
How to cite this article
Akhavan Abdollahian M, Seyedalhoseni S, Hanaee T. Spatial Analysis and Location of Mashhad City Relief and Rescue Centers. GeoRes 2022; 37 (1) :69-80
URL: http://georesearch.ir/article-1-1281-en.html
URL: http://georesearch.ir/article-1-1281-en.html
Download citation:
BibTeX | RIS | EndNote | Medlars | ProCite | Reference Manager | RefWorks
Send citation to:
Rights and permissions
BibTeX | RIS | EndNote | Medlars | ProCite | Reference Manager | RefWorks
Send citation to:
1- Department of Urban Planning, Mashhad Branch, Islamic Azad University, Mashhad, Iran
Full-Text (HTML) (141 Views)
Introduction
Cities, as areas experiencing rapid growth and population increase, are highly sensitive and vulnerable to various natural and human-induced hazards such as earthquakes, floods, terrorist activities, and chemical incidents. Urban emergency shelters are vital public spaces that can provide temporary accommodation for residents in the event of a disaster. Proper and effective planning for urban emergency shelters not only enhances governments’ capacity to cope with disasters but also ensures urban public safety [Xiaodong et al., 2020:16]. Alongside social development and urbanization, the scale and population of many cities are continuously expanding, and during this process, the risks arising from various disasters are also increasingly intensifying. Therefore, strengthening urban crisis management and enhancing resilience against emergency crises in urban governance has become an urgent necessity.
The metropolis of Mashhad, as the spiritual capital of Iran, possesses distinctive characteristics such as a high population density, a significant geopolitical position at both provincial and national levels, concentration of political, economic, social, and cultural centers, specific geological conditions, the presence of major and minor active faults, extensive deteriorated urban fabric, and the depreciation of vital lifelines. These features place Mashhad among the cities highly exposed to risks and disasters [Rahnama et al., 2013]. This situation makes crisis and disaster management, as a scientific discipline within the field of strategic management, inevitable for urban managers. Crisis management is, in fact, defined as the creation of preparedness and the provision of necessary measures and logistics to confront crises or to minimize their destructive effects [Bahrampour & Bemanian, 2012]. Decisions made during the occurrence of crises in cities generally involve two fundamental issues. The first is encouraging people to remain in the city and providing the necessary facilities for their safe accommodation, and the second is evacuating the city and accommodating people in safe locations outside the city. In the second approach, mass movement of people toward city exits often leads to congestion and blockage of exit routes, while destination cities usually lack the capacity to respond to such sudden population increases [Farzam Shad & Iraqi Zadeh, 2011]. Therefore, accommodating residents within the city has greater advantages. Accordingly, disaster prevention and the reduction of operational actions through strengthening urban disaster management and identifying optimal locations for emergency shelters have received considerable attention from planners over recent decades [Xiang & Ying, 2020].
Thus, in urban areas, particularly densely populated metropolises where the likelihood of natural hazards is high, necessary provisions must be made for accommodating and assisting residents, and potential spaces suitable for sheltering should be identified as much as possible. In this regard, one of the fundamental measures is identifying appropriate locations for rescue and relief centers. According to the National Crisis Management Law, one of the most important duties of crisis management is to carry out cyclical actions aimed at forecasting, prevention and risk reduction, preparedness and effective response, as well as recovery and reconstruction after the occurrence of disasters and accidents. Clause “B” of this law explicitly states that all relevant centers and organizations must take action to rescue victims of natural disasters, transfer them to medical centers, provide emergency shelter, and supply their essential needs until those needs are met [Islamic Consultative Assembly, 2019]. Based on this, locating rescue and relief centers is among the essential actions that must be undertaken prior to the occurrence of crises.
Crises can be classified into national, regional, provincial, urban, and local levels. A national crisis is one whose management exceeds the capacity of the crisis management system and the available resources of a region or province and therefore requires the mobilization of national forces. Other cases are classified as regional, provincial, urban, or local crises. These types of crises are often controllable and manageable by local authorities; thus, the location planning of rescue and relief centers falls within the scope of urban or local crisis management.
On the other hand, site selection is an activity that analyzes the capabilities and potentials of a region in terms of the availability of suitable and sufficient land and its relationship with other land uses and urban facilities in order to select an appropriate location for a specific function [Varesi et al., 2005]. Numerous studies have been conducted on the issue of locating various facilities within crisis management. Among them is the study by Zebardast and Mohammadi titled Locating Relief Centers (under Earthquake Conditions) Using GIS and the AHP Multi-Criteria Evaluation Method, which examines one of the dense and central districts of Tehran (District 11). By applying geographic information systems, they integrate maps of facilities and constraint factors and identified suitable sites for the establishment of relief centers [Zebardast & Mohammadi, 2005]. Shoja Araghi et al. also, in their research, have identified and analyzed the factors affecting the location of crisis management support bases and carried out the location and prioritization of these centers in Tehran Municipality District 6 [Shoja Araghi et al., 2011]. Khammar and Saleh Ghohari, in their article entitled Passive Defense Planning and Urban Shelter Location Using Fuzzy Logic, have conducted passive defense planning and shelter site selection in District 1 of Kerman [Khammar & Saleh Ghohari, 2013].
Golmehr and Amini [Golmehr & Amini, 2018] have examined the distribution and spatial arrangement of strategic land uses in the city of Buin Zahra and emphasized the application of urban planning principles such as urban land-use planning, urban zoning, decentralization, and preventing development in proximity to high-risk and threatened land uses. Imani et al. [Imani et al., 2020] address the issue of locating rural crisis management centers as a multi-criteria problem (13 criteria) and analyzed criteria such as distance from fuel distribution centers and oil depots, faults, roads, utility lines, population centers, water bodies, industrial centers, and land slope using the AHP and TOPSIS methods. Mohammadi Dehcheshmeh et al. [Mohammadi Dehcheshmeh et al., 2020] effectively employ a combined GIS–AHP–FUZZY model to locate urban shelters in the city of Kuhdasht, while incorporating passive defense principles into their analysis. The main effective indicators in this study included compatibility, efficiency, and safety.
In the research presented by Yazdani et al. [Yazdani et al., 2020], GIS software was is used to analyze the city of Ardabil based on physical, wartime, environmental, and natural indicators, and ultimately eight proposed establishment sites were introduced. The evaluation of site selection factors by Dadashzadeh et al. [Dadashzadeh et al., 2017] is conducted by defining natural, functional, accessibility, security, and management factors in the city of Urmia, and the prioritization of these factors is summarized. Hajipour and Payab [Hajipour & Payab, 2020] have analyzed the vulnerability of urban defense in Shiraz using criteria such as urban fabric composition, accessibility to relief centers, buffers of hazardous facilities, population at risk, and temporary accommodation, and applied the analytic hierarchy process to determine vulnerability levels and zoning. Amanpoor and Parvizian [Amanpoor & Parvizian, 2021] use GIS-based analysis to locate multi-purpose urban shelters based on passive defense principles in the city of Ahvaz and evaluated demographic, physical, natural, environmental, and functional criteria.
A review of the aforementioned studies indicates that, despite the application of various methods and multiple criteria for locating different facilities, including rescue and relief centers, in crisis management, no study has yet been conducted on the location of rescue and relief centers prior to the occurrence of disasters in the city of Mashhad using the methods adopted in the present research. Therefore, the present study aims to reduce the vulnerability of the city of Mashhad to natural and human-made hazards by first identifying effective criteria for locating rescue and relief centers and then determining suitable locations for their establishment across the city.
To determine the criteria, in the first step, there are general criteria considered for locating all urban land uses, including:
Methodology
The present study is descriptive and site-selection–oriented with an applied objective. Data were collected from reliable sources, including reports, documents, and published statistical data. The main objective of this article is to identify appropriate and efficient criteria for locating rescue and relief centers. Accordingly, in the first stage, key national and international literature related to the concepts of passive defense was reviewed, and multiple criteria for locating rescue and relief centers were identified. Subsequently, expert opinions were obtained to determine the most suitable criteria based on the specific conditions of the city of Mashhad.
In the next step, the Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP) was employed to determine the most important criteria. In this method, the first stage involved defining the objectives, criteria, and alternatives. In the second stage, the criteria and scoring tables were developed, and raster maps of the sub-criteria were generated. At this stage, weights were assigned to the criteria based on the significance of each criterion’s impact on the subject under study. The criteria were weighted according to Saaty’s weighting table and classified into relatively uniform ordinal scales. Based on expert judgments obtained through consultation, values were assigned by increasing or decreasing the distance from each criterion, and finally, pairwise comparisons were conducted.
Based on the above-mentioned steps, the determined criteria for rescue and relief centers were spatially analyzed and located using GIS software version 10.8. Considering the various criteria employed in previous studies, as discussed in the Introduction.
The weights of the criteria and the scores assigned to each criterion were determined based on the opinions of experts (51 specialists and relevant professionals) and in accordance with the specific conditions of the city of Mashhad. Ultimately, the results of the most important criteria for locating rescue and relief centers in the city of Mashhad were determined.
Moreover, combined analytical techniques were employed to analyze and visualize the data. The integrated use of GIS and the Analytic Hierarchy Process, generally referred to as a spatial decision support system, has been widely applied for addressing complex spatial problems and is considered a highly effective decision-making approach [Markropoulose, 2006]. After identifying the existing conditions of the study area, the aforementioned method was applied, and through the integration of criteria and sub-criteria, suitable locations for rescue and relief centers were identified.
Geographical scope: Proximity to residential land uses and access roads are two key criteria for locating rescue and relief centers. The gross population density of Mashhad in 2016 and the city’s arterial road network, respectively. First-grade arterial roads mainly consist of routes with extra-urban functions (freeways and highways). The most important first-grade arterial routes in the city include the peripheral connections around Mashhad and the western parts of the city. Other major streets forming the urban structural framework of Mashhad are the main second-grade arterial roads. The remaining streets, which are used to varying extents for traffic circulation, were classified as collector–distributor roads. The road network within the dense urban fabric mainly consists of second-grade arterial roads and collector–distributor streets, which have an irregular form; therefore, access to vital centers and sheltering spaces becomes difficult during crisis situations. This condition highlights the necessity of paying particular attention to accessibility when locating rescue and relief spaces.
Findings
Identification of Criteria and Sub-Criteria for Locating Rescue and Relief Centers in the City of Mashhad
For the location planning of rescue and relief centers in the city of Mashhad, the importance coefficients of the criteria and their corresponding sub-criteria were determined. These coefficients were spatially operationalized using the AHP–GIS technique.
Based on these criteria, the most suitable locations were identified in areas surrounding zones where residential, medical, and fire station land uses are located in close proximity to one another. For the location of rescue and relief centers with respect to the criterion of distance from hazardous urban facilities, two sub-criteria, fuel stations and other hazardous facilities, were identified.
In the process of locating rescue and relief centers, areas situated in the vicinity of these hazardous activities were found to be unsuitable; therefore, the establishment of such centers in close proximity to these facilities should be avoided. Finally, all the aforementioned criteria and sub-criteria were examined in an integrated manner, and the site-selection results obtained separately for each criterion were combined.
Ultimately, by integrating all criteria and sub-criteria, the final site-selection map for rescue and relief centers was produced.
These priorities were determined based on three main considerations: reducing the time required for injured individuals to reach rescue and relief centers, increasing the efficiency of relief operations, and reducing vulnerability. Accordingly, the criterion of proximity to residential land uses played a central role in locating rescue and relief centers in the city of Mashhad. Due to the relatively high population density in the central districts of Mashhad, the increased vulnerability of these areas during disaster events, and the critical importance of response time for residents and injured individuals to access rescue and relief centers, these criteria were selected as the final determinants for identifying the locations of these centers.
Discussion
Considering the strategic position of the city of Mashhad and its exposure to various natural and human-made disasters, creating pre-crisis preparedness to correctly locate urban land uses and minimize the damage and risks associated with such events through the application of appropriate urban planning and crisis management patterns is an unavoidable necessity.
Based on the specific conditions and characteristics of Mashhad, the land-use criterion, adequate road accessibility, and distance from hazardous urban facilities were assigned importance coefficients of 9, 8, and 7, respectively, for the location of rescue and relief centers. The sub-criteria of proximity to residential, medical, and fire station land uses received importance coefficients of 8 and 6, first-grade and other access roads were scored 9 and 7, and fuel stations and other hazardous urban facilities were assigned scores of 7 and 5, respectively.
By comparing the criteria applied in this study, such as proximity to residential land uses, road accessibility, distance from hazardous urban facilities, proximity to fire stations, proximity to medical centers, and pre-disaster urban management at the city scale, with the criteria and findings of other studies, the results of this article align with those of Imani et al. [Imani et al., 2020], Amanpoor and Parvizian [Amanpoor & Parvizian, 2021], Mohammadi Dehcheshmeh et al. [Mohammadi Dehcheshmeh et al., 2020], Yazdani et al. [Yazdani et al., 2020], Dadashzadeh et al. [Dadashzadeh et al., 2017], and Hajipour and Payab [Hajipour & Payab, 2020]. In terms of applied principles and results, it also corresponds with Golmehr and Amini [Golmehr & Amini, 2018]. However, regarding the consideration of sub-criteria, the findings are not consistent with Meshkini et al. [Meshkini et al., 2020].
Conclusion
The city of Mashhad requires the identification of appropriate locations for rescue and relief centers as part of effective crisis management. In this study, a total of 776 potential sites for these centers were identified based on various criteria, and maps of the recommended locations for rescue and relief centers were produced.
Acknowledgements: No acknowledgements were reported by the authors.
Ethical Permission: No ethical approval was reported by the authors.
Conflict of Interest: No conflict of interest was reported by the authors.
Author Contributions: Akhavan Abdollahian MR (First Author), Introduction Writer/Data analysis/Main Researcher (55%); Seyedalhoseni SM (Second Author), Discussion Writer (25%); Hanaee T (Third Author), Methodologist (20%)
Funding: No funding was reported by the authors.
Cities, as areas experiencing rapid growth and population increase, are highly sensitive and vulnerable to various natural and human-induced hazards such as earthquakes, floods, terrorist activities, and chemical incidents. Urban emergency shelters are vital public spaces that can provide temporary accommodation for residents in the event of a disaster. Proper and effective planning for urban emergency shelters not only enhances governments’ capacity to cope with disasters but also ensures urban public safety [Xiaodong et al., 2020:16]. Alongside social development and urbanization, the scale and population of many cities are continuously expanding, and during this process, the risks arising from various disasters are also increasingly intensifying. Therefore, strengthening urban crisis management and enhancing resilience against emergency crises in urban governance has become an urgent necessity.
The metropolis of Mashhad, as the spiritual capital of Iran, possesses distinctive characteristics such as a high population density, a significant geopolitical position at both provincial and national levels, concentration of political, economic, social, and cultural centers, specific geological conditions, the presence of major and minor active faults, extensive deteriorated urban fabric, and the depreciation of vital lifelines. These features place Mashhad among the cities highly exposed to risks and disasters [Rahnama et al., 2013]. This situation makes crisis and disaster management, as a scientific discipline within the field of strategic management, inevitable for urban managers. Crisis management is, in fact, defined as the creation of preparedness and the provision of necessary measures and logistics to confront crises or to minimize their destructive effects [Bahrampour & Bemanian, 2012]. Decisions made during the occurrence of crises in cities generally involve two fundamental issues. The first is encouraging people to remain in the city and providing the necessary facilities for their safe accommodation, and the second is evacuating the city and accommodating people in safe locations outside the city. In the second approach, mass movement of people toward city exits often leads to congestion and blockage of exit routes, while destination cities usually lack the capacity to respond to such sudden population increases [Farzam Shad & Iraqi Zadeh, 2011]. Therefore, accommodating residents within the city has greater advantages. Accordingly, disaster prevention and the reduction of operational actions through strengthening urban disaster management and identifying optimal locations for emergency shelters have received considerable attention from planners over recent decades [Xiang & Ying, 2020].
Thus, in urban areas, particularly densely populated metropolises where the likelihood of natural hazards is high, necessary provisions must be made for accommodating and assisting residents, and potential spaces suitable for sheltering should be identified as much as possible. In this regard, one of the fundamental measures is identifying appropriate locations for rescue and relief centers. According to the National Crisis Management Law, one of the most important duties of crisis management is to carry out cyclical actions aimed at forecasting, prevention and risk reduction, preparedness and effective response, as well as recovery and reconstruction after the occurrence of disasters and accidents. Clause “B” of this law explicitly states that all relevant centers and organizations must take action to rescue victims of natural disasters, transfer them to medical centers, provide emergency shelter, and supply their essential needs until those needs are met [Islamic Consultative Assembly, 2019]. Based on this, locating rescue and relief centers is among the essential actions that must be undertaken prior to the occurrence of crises.
Crises can be classified into national, regional, provincial, urban, and local levels. A national crisis is one whose management exceeds the capacity of the crisis management system and the available resources of a region or province and therefore requires the mobilization of national forces. Other cases are classified as regional, provincial, urban, or local crises. These types of crises are often controllable and manageable by local authorities; thus, the location planning of rescue and relief centers falls within the scope of urban or local crisis management.
On the other hand, site selection is an activity that analyzes the capabilities and potentials of a region in terms of the availability of suitable and sufficient land and its relationship with other land uses and urban facilities in order to select an appropriate location for a specific function [Varesi et al., 2005]. Numerous studies have been conducted on the issue of locating various facilities within crisis management. Among them is the study by Zebardast and Mohammadi titled Locating Relief Centers (under Earthquake Conditions) Using GIS and the AHP Multi-Criteria Evaluation Method, which examines one of the dense and central districts of Tehran (District 11). By applying geographic information systems, they integrate maps of facilities and constraint factors and identified suitable sites for the establishment of relief centers [Zebardast & Mohammadi, 2005]. Shoja Araghi et al. also, in their research, have identified and analyzed the factors affecting the location of crisis management support bases and carried out the location and prioritization of these centers in Tehran Municipality District 6 [Shoja Araghi et al., 2011]. Khammar and Saleh Ghohari, in their article entitled Passive Defense Planning and Urban Shelter Location Using Fuzzy Logic, have conducted passive defense planning and shelter site selection in District 1 of Kerman [Khammar & Saleh Ghohari, 2013].
Golmehr and Amini [Golmehr & Amini, 2018] have examined the distribution and spatial arrangement of strategic land uses in the city of Buin Zahra and emphasized the application of urban planning principles such as urban land-use planning, urban zoning, decentralization, and preventing development in proximity to high-risk and threatened land uses. Imani et al. [Imani et al., 2020] address the issue of locating rural crisis management centers as a multi-criteria problem (13 criteria) and analyzed criteria such as distance from fuel distribution centers and oil depots, faults, roads, utility lines, population centers, water bodies, industrial centers, and land slope using the AHP and TOPSIS methods. Mohammadi Dehcheshmeh et al. [Mohammadi Dehcheshmeh et al., 2020] effectively employ a combined GIS–AHP–FUZZY model to locate urban shelters in the city of Kuhdasht, while incorporating passive defense principles into their analysis. The main effective indicators in this study included compatibility, efficiency, and safety.
In the research presented by Yazdani et al. [Yazdani et al., 2020], GIS software was is used to analyze the city of Ardabil based on physical, wartime, environmental, and natural indicators, and ultimately eight proposed establishment sites were introduced. The evaluation of site selection factors by Dadashzadeh et al. [Dadashzadeh et al., 2017] is conducted by defining natural, functional, accessibility, security, and management factors in the city of Urmia, and the prioritization of these factors is summarized. Hajipour and Payab [Hajipour & Payab, 2020] have analyzed the vulnerability of urban defense in Shiraz using criteria such as urban fabric composition, accessibility to relief centers, buffers of hazardous facilities, population at risk, and temporary accommodation, and applied the analytic hierarchy process to determine vulnerability levels and zoning. Amanpoor and Parvizian [Amanpoor & Parvizian, 2021] use GIS-based analysis to locate multi-purpose urban shelters based on passive defense principles in the city of Ahvaz and evaluated demographic, physical, natural, environmental, and functional criteria.
A review of the aforementioned studies indicates that, despite the application of various methods and multiple criteria for locating different facilities, including rescue and relief centers, in crisis management, no study has yet been conducted on the location of rescue and relief centers prior to the occurrence of disasters in the city of Mashhad using the methods adopted in the present research. Therefore, the present study aims to reduce the vulnerability of the city of Mashhad to natural and human-made hazards by first identifying effective criteria for locating rescue and relief centers and then determining suitable locations for their establishment across the city.
To determine the criteria, in the first step, there are general criteria considered for locating all urban land uses, including:
- Compatibility: According to this criterion, incompatible land uses should be located away from each other, while complementary land uses should be located adjacent to one another.
- Comfort: According to this criterion, different land uses should be located with consideration of distance, travel time, and ease of access.
- Efficiency: According to this criterion, economic feasibility and productivity should be examined in site selection.
- Desirability: In locating activities, desirability in terms of landscape, natural factors, and similar aspects should be considered.
- Health: According to this criterion, environmental issues should be primarily considered in land allocation for specific activities in order to ensure public health and a healthy city.
- Safety Standards: According to this criterion, security and the protection of life, property, and public resources against natural and non-natural hazards should be taken into account in land-use location [Poormohammadi, 2012].
- Predominantly Residential Land Use: Rescue and relief centers should be located in areas where residential land use is dominant, as residential areas are the most vulnerable urban land uses, and providing assistance to citizens who are in their homes at the time of a crisis is a priority [Mahdavi et al., 2012].
- Proximity to Medical Centers: These centers should be located near medical facilities so that injured individuals can be transferred to hospitals in the shortest possible time, particularly in cases requiring specialized medical services [Mahdavi et al., 2012].
- Proximity to Fire Stations: Due to the likelihood of fires following explosions, proximity to fire stations is of particular importance for firefighting operations. Therefore, these centers should be located within the service coverage radius of fire stations [Zakerhaghighi, 2003].
- Access to Roads: This is one of the most important criteria for locating rescue and relief centers, as disruption of access to other parts of the city severely affects sheltering and relief operations and may lead to the suspension of such operations at the most critical moments following a disaster.
- Street Network: Streets are among the most important urban elements that become critically important immediately after a crisis, as the evacuation of the urban population and their transfer within the shortest possible time is required [Hamidi, 1992].
- Distance from Hazardous Urban Facilities: Rescue and relief centers should be located away from hazardous urban facilities and outside their buffer zones. These facilities, which mainly include gas and power transmission lines and fuel stations, may explode during disasters and cause secondary fires and incidents; therefore, the intended centers must maintain an appropriate distance from such facilities [Mahdavi et al., 2012].
Methodology
The present study is descriptive and site-selection–oriented with an applied objective. Data were collected from reliable sources, including reports, documents, and published statistical data. The main objective of this article is to identify appropriate and efficient criteria for locating rescue and relief centers. Accordingly, in the first stage, key national and international literature related to the concepts of passive defense was reviewed, and multiple criteria for locating rescue and relief centers were identified. Subsequently, expert opinions were obtained to determine the most suitable criteria based on the specific conditions of the city of Mashhad.
In the next step, the Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP) was employed to determine the most important criteria. In this method, the first stage involved defining the objectives, criteria, and alternatives. In the second stage, the criteria and scoring tables were developed, and raster maps of the sub-criteria were generated. At this stage, weights were assigned to the criteria based on the significance of each criterion’s impact on the subject under study. The criteria were weighted according to Saaty’s weighting table and classified into relatively uniform ordinal scales. Based on expert judgments obtained through consultation, values were assigned by increasing or decreasing the distance from each criterion, and finally, pairwise comparisons were conducted.
Based on the above-mentioned steps, the determined criteria for rescue and relief centers were spatially analyzed and located using GIS software version 10.8. Considering the various criteria employed in previous studies, as discussed in the Introduction.
The weights of the criteria and the scores assigned to each criterion were determined based on the opinions of experts (51 specialists and relevant professionals) and in accordance with the specific conditions of the city of Mashhad. Ultimately, the results of the most important criteria for locating rescue and relief centers in the city of Mashhad were determined.
Moreover, combined analytical techniques were employed to analyze and visualize the data. The integrated use of GIS and the Analytic Hierarchy Process, generally referred to as a spatial decision support system, has been widely applied for addressing complex spatial problems and is considered a highly effective decision-making approach [Markropoulose, 2006]. After identifying the existing conditions of the study area, the aforementioned method was applied, and through the integration of criteria and sub-criteria, suitable locations for rescue and relief centers were identified.
Geographical scope: Proximity to residential land uses and access roads are two key criteria for locating rescue and relief centers. The gross population density of Mashhad in 2016 and the city’s arterial road network, respectively. First-grade arterial roads mainly consist of routes with extra-urban functions (freeways and highways). The most important first-grade arterial routes in the city include the peripheral connections around Mashhad and the western parts of the city. Other major streets forming the urban structural framework of Mashhad are the main second-grade arterial roads. The remaining streets, which are used to varying extents for traffic circulation, were classified as collector–distributor roads. The road network within the dense urban fabric mainly consists of second-grade arterial roads and collector–distributor streets, which have an irregular form; therefore, access to vital centers and sheltering spaces becomes difficult during crisis situations. This condition highlights the necessity of paying particular attention to accessibility when locating rescue and relief spaces.
Findings
Identification of Criteria and Sub-Criteria for Locating Rescue and Relief Centers in the City of Mashhad
For the location planning of rescue and relief centers in the city of Mashhad, the importance coefficients of the criteria and their corresponding sub-criteria were determined. These coefficients were spatially operationalized using the AHP–GIS technique.
Based on these criteria, the most suitable locations were identified in areas surrounding zones where residential, medical, and fire station land uses are located in close proximity to one another. For the location of rescue and relief centers with respect to the criterion of distance from hazardous urban facilities, two sub-criteria, fuel stations and other hazardous facilities, were identified.
In the process of locating rescue and relief centers, areas situated in the vicinity of these hazardous activities were found to be unsuitable; therefore, the establishment of such centers in close proximity to these facilities should be avoided. Finally, all the aforementioned criteria and sub-criteria were examined in an integrated manner, and the site-selection results obtained separately for each criterion were combined.
Ultimately, by integrating all criteria and sub-criteria, the final site-selection map for rescue and relief centers was produced.
These priorities were determined based on three main considerations: reducing the time required for injured individuals to reach rescue and relief centers, increasing the efficiency of relief operations, and reducing vulnerability. Accordingly, the criterion of proximity to residential land uses played a central role in locating rescue and relief centers in the city of Mashhad. Due to the relatively high population density in the central districts of Mashhad, the increased vulnerability of these areas during disaster events, and the critical importance of response time for residents and injured individuals to access rescue and relief centers, these criteria were selected as the final determinants for identifying the locations of these centers.
Discussion
Considering the strategic position of the city of Mashhad and its exposure to various natural and human-made disasters, creating pre-crisis preparedness to correctly locate urban land uses and minimize the damage and risks associated with such events through the application of appropriate urban planning and crisis management patterns is an unavoidable necessity.
Based on the specific conditions and characteristics of Mashhad, the land-use criterion, adequate road accessibility, and distance from hazardous urban facilities were assigned importance coefficients of 9, 8, and 7, respectively, for the location of rescue and relief centers. The sub-criteria of proximity to residential, medical, and fire station land uses received importance coefficients of 8 and 6, first-grade and other access roads were scored 9 and 7, and fuel stations and other hazardous urban facilities were assigned scores of 7 and 5, respectively.
By comparing the criteria applied in this study, such as proximity to residential land uses, road accessibility, distance from hazardous urban facilities, proximity to fire stations, proximity to medical centers, and pre-disaster urban management at the city scale, with the criteria and findings of other studies, the results of this article align with those of Imani et al. [Imani et al., 2020], Amanpoor and Parvizian [Amanpoor & Parvizian, 2021], Mohammadi Dehcheshmeh et al. [Mohammadi Dehcheshmeh et al., 2020], Yazdani et al. [Yazdani et al., 2020], Dadashzadeh et al. [Dadashzadeh et al., 2017], and Hajipour and Payab [Hajipour & Payab, 2020]. In terms of applied principles and results, it also corresponds with Golmehr and Amini [Golmehr & Amini, 2018]. However, regarding the consideration of sub-criteria, the findings are not consistent with Meshkini et al. [Meshkini et al., 2020].
Conclusion
The city of Mashhad requires the identification of appropriate locations for rescue and relief centers as part of effective crisis management. In this study, a total of 776 potential sites for these centers were identified based on various criteria, and maps of the recommended locations for rescue and relief centers were produced.
Acknowledgements: No acknowledgements were reported by the authors.
Ethical Permission: No ethical approval was reported by the authors.
Conflict of Interest: No conflict of interest was reported by the authors.
Author Contributions: Akhavan Abdollahian MR (First Author), Introduction Writer/Data analysis/Main Researcher (55%); Seyedalhoseni SM (Second Author), Discussion Writer (25%); Hanaee T (Third Author), Methodologist (20%)
Funding: No funding was reported by the authors.
Keywords:
References
1. Amanpoor S, Parvizian A (2021). Locating multi-purpose urban shelters based on the principles of passive defense: the case study of the district one of Ahvaz metropolis. Town and Country Planning. 12(2):385-406. [Persian] [Link]
2. Amina M, Modiri M (2013). Design and planning of urban unit parks to implement the housing and relief plan from the perspective of passive defense. Iranian Scientific Association of Passive Defense Scientific Quarterly.1(1):37-46. [Persian] [Link]
3. Bahrampour N, Bemanian MR (2012). Study on optimum location of disaster management sites, case study: third region of tehran municipality. Emergency Management. 1(1):59-51. [Persian] [Link]
4. Dadashzadeh A, Taghvaei M, Zarabi A (2017). Assess factors affecting emergency settlement site selections, a case study of Urmia city. Human Geography Research. 49(2):325-340. [Persian] [Link]
5. Farzam Shad M, Iraqi Zadeh M (2011). Basics of planning and designing a safe city from the perspective of passive defense. Isfahan: Elm Afarin. [Persian] [Link]
6. Golmehr E, Amini H (2018). Sustainable development of small bio- complexes in aspect of passive defense (a case study on Buin Zahra city). Geography. 15(55):71-81. [Persian] [Link]
7. Hamidi M (1992). Evaluation of land separation patterns and urban fabric in housing vulnerability. Proceedings of the seminar on housing development policies in Tehran, Iran, October 1992. Tehran: Ministry of Housing and Urban Development. National Land and Housing Organization. [Persian] [Link]
8. Hajipour K, Payab A. Vulnerability analysis of urban defense using analytic hierarchy process (case study: the second city area of Shiraz). The Journal of Spatial Planning. 23(1):52-84. [Persian] [Link]
9. Hataminejhad H, WaysianM, Varzaneh N, Alizadeh A (2013). Analysis and prioritization of urban green space distribution with GIS techniques Topsis Case study of Dehgolan city. Quarterly Journal of Geography Environment Preparation. 7(26):65-88. [Persian] [Link]
10. Heydarian p, Rangzan K, Maleki S, Taghizadeh A, Azizi Qalti S (2014). Location of municipal landfill using Fuzz AHP and TOPSIS Fuzzy models in GIS environment (case study: Pakdasht city of Tehran province). Salinity and development. 3(1):1-13. [Persian] [Link]
11. Imani B, Hosseini Amini H, Talebi R (2020). Location of Rural Crisis Management Centers (Case Study: Ardabil City). Geography. 61(17). [Persian] [Link]
12. Islamic Consultative Assembly (2019). The crisis management rule of the country. Tehran: Nezamfanni.ir. [Persian] [Link]
13. Khammar Gh , Saleh Ghohari H (2013). Passive defense planning and location of urban shelters using fuzzy logic (case study: Kerman urban zone). Journal of Geography and Environmental Studies. 2(7):21-34. [Persian] [Link]
14. Mahdavi F, Abazarloo S, Khakparaqi B (2012). Evaluation of basic forms of buildings from the perspective of passive defense. 2nd International Congress on Structure, Architecture and Urban Development. Tehran: Civilica. [Persian] [Link]
15. Makropoulos CK, Butler D (2006). Spatial ordered weighted averaging: incorporating spatially variable attitude towards risk in spatial multi-criteria decision-making. Environmental Modelling & Software. 21(1):69-84. [Link] [DOI:10.1016/j.envsoft.2004.10.010]
16. Meshkini A, Mansourzadeh AM, Shahrokhy Far Z (2019). Assessment of spatial distribution model of urban-social vulnerability in natural hazards (a case study of seven municipality of Tehran). Journal of Spatial Analysis Environmental Hazards. 6(3):49-70. [Persian] [Link] [DOI:10.29252/jsaeh.6.3.49]
17. Mohammadi Dehcheshmeh M, Alizadeh M, Parvezyan A (2020). Location urban haven based passive defense (the city Kuhdasht). Geographical Planning of Space Quarterly Journal. 9(32):149-162. [Persian] [Link]
18. Partovi P (1995). Assessing of hindrances and restrictions of the execution of Reducing vulnerability criteria in relation to earthquake. Second International Conference of Seismology and Earthquake Engineering, International Institute of Earthquake Engineering and Seismology, Tehran, May 1995. Tehran: International Institute of Seismology and Earthquake Engineering. [Persian] [Link]
19. Poormohammadi M (2012). Urban land use planning. Tehran: Samt. [Link]
20. Rahnama M, Shurabi R, Haddad Hasanabadi M (2013). Investigating the position and role of metropolitan municipality in crisis management (Case study: Mashhad metropolitan municipality). Urban Planning and Management Conference, May 2013, Ferdowsi University of Mashhad, Mashhad, Iran. Tehran: Civilica. [Link]
21. Saghafi Asl A, Zabrdast A, Majidi H (2014). Application of TOPSIS technique in ranking of Tehran urban design projects with implementation evaluation approach. HONARHA-YE-ZIBA MEMARI-VA-SHAHRSAZI.18(19):69-78. [Persian] [Link]
22. Shoja Araghi M, Tavallaei S, Ziaeian P (2011). Location analysis regarding disaster management bases via GIS case study: Tehran municipality (No.6). Urban Regional Studies and Research. 3(10):41-60. [Persian] [Link]
23. Taherkahni M (2007). Application of TOPSIS in prioritizing the locations for establishing rural agro-based industries. The Economic Research. 7(3):59-73. [Persian] [Link]
24. Varesi H, Mohammadi J, Shahinvandi A (2005). Locating urban green space using GIS model (case study: Khorram Aabaad). 6(10):83-103. [Persian] [Link]
25. Xiang Z, Ying L (2020). Hierarchical location of urban emergency shelters under multi-flow pattern. IOSR Journal of Business and Management (IOSR-JBM). 22(2):6-11. [Link]
26. Xiaodong Z, Jia Y, Yun C, Jiahong W, Jiayan C, Zhan'e Y (2020). Supply-demand analysis of urban emergency shelters based on spatiotemporal population estimation. International Journal of Disaster Risk Science. 11(3):16. [Link] [DOI:10.1007/s13753-020-00284-9]
27. Yazdani MH, Parsaei Moghaddam M, Seyedin A (2020). Locating multipurpose public bases with the approach of passive defense (case Study : Ardabil). Geographical Planning of Space Quarterly Journal. 9(34):153-172. [Persian] [Link]
28. Zakerhaghighi K (2003). Location of fire stations with GIS. Tehran: University of Tehran. [Persian] [Link]
29. Zebardast E, Mohammadi A (2005). Site selection for post-earthquake relief centers using gis and analytic hierarchy process (AHP). Honar-Ha-Ye-Ziba. (21):5-16 [Link]