Preipheral Urban Spaces Development

Preipheral Urban Spaces Development

Analysis of the Physical Vulnerability of the Urban Fabric of Talesh and Its Surrounding Areas to Earthquake Hazards

Document Type : Articles extracted from Thesis

Authors
Dariush Mohammadi Outari 1
Rasoul Samadzadeh 2
Mohammad Taghi Masoumi 3
1 Ph.D Candidate, Department Geography and Urban Planning, Ardabil Branch, Islamic Azad University, Ardabil, Iran.
2 Associate Professor, Department of Geography, Ardabil Branch, Islamic Azad University, Ardabil, Iran
3 Assistant Professor, Department Geography, Ardabil Branch, Islamic Azad University, Ardabil, Iran.
10.22034/jpusd.2025.538096.1360
Abstract
Introduction
Nowadays, cities across various regions are increasingly exposed to physical damage caused by natural hazards due to multiple factors. These hazards continue to result in significant human and financial losses, necessitating urgent and preventive measures. Although recent years have seen efforts to mitigate natural risks through urban development planning, the rapid growth of most cities has, in turn, led to an escalation in the level of natural hazards within urban areas.
In this context, the cities of Gilan Province host the highest concentration of human resources, investments, economic initiatives, and infrastructure. However, due to excessive centralization and improper land-use planning—particularly for high-risk functions such as fossil fuel stations, airports, and others—these cities face significant physical threats. Additional contributing factors include non-compliance with access standards (e.g., disproportionate building and street layouts), the presence of numerous bridges (including underpasses and river crossings), disregard for river buffer zones, minimal attention to climatic elements such as prevailing winds and precipitation in construction practices, and the lack of balanced and standardized access distances in the distribution of emergency services like hospitals and fire stations. Talesh city is no exception. Located in the western part of Gilan Province, it accounts for 25% of the province’s land area. It is bordered on three sides by the Talesh Mountains, which are an extension of the Alborz range, and on the fourth side by the Caspian Sea. Historically, the city has experienced natural disasters such as floods and earthquakes. Given its location on a fault line, the likelihood of future earthquakes is high. Therefore, the researcher aims to provide a reliable assessment of the city’s physical vulnerability to earthquakes using GIS software, based on spatial and descriptive data of its key components and elements.
 
 
Methodology
The present study aims to examine the physical vulnerability of the urban fabric of Talesh in the face of earthquake hazards. Accordingly, the research is applied in nature and employs a quantitative methodology based on library research, document analysis, and field studies. To analyze the data and information, the study utilizes EXPERT CHOICE software, fuzzy logic models, and GIS to assess the spatial arrangement of the phenomena under investigation.
 
Results and discussion
The findings of this study clearly indicate that Talesh’s vulnerability to earthquakes is not merely a geophysical issue, but rather a prime example of a “planned disaster.” Although the majority of the area falls within low to moderate vulnerability categories, the concentration of population and critical infrastructure in zones classified as high and very high vulnerability—mostly aligned with fault lines—places the city as a whole under serious threat. This aligns with the findings of Khodadadi et al. (2020). This paradox—low-vulnerability zones adjacent to potentially catastrophic hazards—reveals that the core problem stems from “managerial fault lines”: improper urban siting, fragmented and unprincipled land parceling, and disregard for minimum safety standards in street widths. These factors have effectively turned Talesh into a city built atop a seismic minefield, where human decisions have exponentially amplified the inherent natural risk
 
Conclusion
The results of this study clearly demonstrate that three key factors—distance from fault lines, parcel size, and street width—are the most decisive indicators of Talesh’s physical vulnerability to earthquakes. Specifically, as the distance from active faults increases, parcel sizes grow larger, and streets become wider, the level of vulnerability significantly decreases. These findings strongly suggest that the city’s susceptibility to natural disasters is largely a consequence of urban planning choices and physical development management, rather than an unavoidable natural threat. Therefore, any risk reduction strategy in Talesh must focus on interventions targeting these three factors: prohibiting construction within fault zones, consolidating fragmented land parcels, and standardizing street widths. Such measures not only reduce human casualties but also enhance the city’s capacity for effective emergency response.
 
Funding
According to the responsible author, this article has no financial support
 
Authors’ Contribution
Authors contributed equally to the conceptualization and writing of the article. All of the authors approved thecontent of the manuscript and agreed on all aspects of the work declaration of competing interest none.
 
Conflict of Interest
Authors declared no conflict of interest.
 
Acknowledgments
 We are grateful to all the scientific consultants of this paper.
Keywords
Physical Vulnerability
Urban Fabric
Earthquake
Peri-urban Areas
Talesh

Subjects

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Preipheral Urban Spaces Development
Volume 7, Issue 4 - Serial Number 18
Winter
Autumn 2025
Pages 165-190