Perspectives of the city's vulnerability to environmental hazards and its effective components by using the Q-Method

Due to the interaction and interdependence between urban elements، urban vulnerability also includes all the regarded factors in a city. In other words، environmental hazards affect all parts of a city. Urban systems are under vulnerability to the environmental hazards such as natural and human construction. The occurrence of them can disrupt or stop any of functioning urban systems. Disordering in each of the systems make deficulties in the continuse operation of other systems. Thus the phenomenon of urban vulnerability make a serious impact on the whole system and hence increases the risk of crisis. By preparing urban vulnerable components and the intensity of the vulnerability in each area، the countermeasures could be implied for the targeted city. In this study، Q methodology were used for this evaluaton. It provides urban''s vulnerability assessment and analysis the discursive space existing. Then a comprehensive understanding of the elements and factors influencing urban''s vulnerability for environmental hazards were obtained. In addition، different perspectives in this field were identified and classified contributed from panel of experts. The findings suggest three approaches in the field of urban vulnerability. The first approach is based on the perception of passive defense and crisis management experts that gives more emphasis on the urban risky and hazardous land-uses and urban infrastructure. The second approach is based on the attitude of geography-environmental hazards experts that focuses on natural factors. Finally، the third approach is based on the attitude of urbanism، geography and urban planning experts that gives more emphasis on structural component، texture and urban density. All in all، by the integration of different perspectives، factors influencing the vulnerability of the cities were identified and determined consequently.