Natural hazards (earthquakes) risk mitigation of cities through land-use planning

Land-use planning and management as one the main tools of urban planning plays a ‎vital role for fulfillment of risk assessment in urban development process. Literatures and experiences are two important sources for improving the procedures of land use planning as a high priority mater and tool used in risk mitigation approaches for urban societies. This study aims to ‎recognize criteria and methods of earthquake risk assessment and risk reduction in urban areas ‎through land-use planning for District 3، Zone 5، in Tehran as a case study which has high probability of the occurrence of the earthquake. This study used a descriptive-analytical method. Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP) ‎was used based on the earthquake risk criteria within a linear relation (as: ‎risk=hazard×vulnerability×exposure) to develop risk and prioritization ‎maps and defining suitable strategies، policies and action plans for land-use planning and ‎zoning. The results show that quantitative and ‎comparative analyses in combination with Analytic Hierarchy Process and risk linear relation is ‎an effective and useful method to assign the acceptable risks and direct decisions in land-use planning. It identifies priorities and ‎deficiencies which intensifies vulnerabilities in the urban areas to natural hazards such as earthquake. ‎