Earthquake Mitigation Planning in Urban Residential Neighborhoods (Case Study: Ekbatan Complex (Phase 1))

The present study aims to examine the programs and projects related to vulnerability reduction and to deal with earthquakes in neighborhood areas, and also to plan disaster risk mitigation in Ekbatan Complex, Phase 1. Since Tehran Metropolis is located on earthquake-rising faults, planning for differentareas of this metropolis, such as neighborhoods risk reduction management tasks, is one of the crucial priorities in order to organize a pre-planning disaster activities and operations. Such programmingmay decrease the possibilities of the number of fatalities, as well as the losses and damages.Having studied the experiences of Iran and disaster prone-countries with regard to planning for earthquakes confrontation in the residential buildings reveals the significance of suitability of community-based approaches in order to achieve appropriate and on-time responses on emergency conditions. The available evidence indicates that working with communities not for them is a key point in successful programs. Using local knowledge and active resident participation in pre-disaster planning projects has resulted in using appropriate local resources and a sufficient relationship with authorities and relief organizations. In addition, such cooperation may pave the ways of achieving of the objectives, priorities and planning strategies. Additionally in this course, a number of activities are placed at the center of focus, such as absorption of the inhabitants’ involvement and enabling them to take some actions to improve safety measures, to set up institutions in the neighborhoods, and to attract the governmental offices’ support with the purpose of vulnerability reduction. A combination of qualitative and quantitative research methods in Ekbatan Complex has led to represent a model for planning to face earthquake risks within the neighborhoods. The proposed model includes four stages such as, organization of the resources and setting up the planning team, risk assessment, planning and implementation. According to the findings derived from the risk assessment of the field study, social-cultural programs and managerial arrangements may be considered more significance with regard to planning as well as the physical programs can be focused on retrofitting non-structural and infrastructural elements, due to the average vulnerability level of this area. Considering the results of the field study and risk evaluation, several programs have been organized such as setting up the volunteer teams amongst the inhabitants, training programs and safe keeping as well as maintaining the buildings, properly. Furthermore, it seems that there is an appropriate ground to set up a local council independent institution in the Ekbatan neighborhood or township. Such institution, which benefits greatly from the financial and technological support of the Disaster Management Center of the Fifth Zone in Tehran Municipality, may act as a connecting means among the state organizations, non-state ones and the local people and may organize various programs to reduce the vulnerability in the Ekbatan Complex.