A Study on Vulnerability of Urban Neighborhoods to Earthquake (Case Study: Farahzad Neighborhood, Tehran)

Iran is considered as one of the most seismic countries in the world and its cities have been frequently damaged by this natural phenomenon. Tehran, as the first metropolis of the country, is no exception to this, and prone to damage also due to its compactness, and being located on three active faults (Mesha fault, North Tehran fault, Rey fault). If activated, Mesha fault, North Tehran fault and Rey fault will destroy 20%, 35% and 55% of the city, respectively. Farahzad neighborhood in northern Tehran is one of the most seismic parts of Tehran metropolis. Hence, the main objective of this study is to investigate the seismicity of the neighborhood in terms of the risk of earthquakes. For this purpose, descriptive analysis, GIS software and Euclidean distance analysis were used. The results of this study showed that 57 hectares of Farahzad (136 hectares) with a relative area of 41% are located in a zone with a high earthquake risk (less than 400 m to the fault line). The area with a high seismic risk (400 to 800 meters) covers an area of 39 hectares, 29 percent of the total neighborhood. Also, 20 hectares of total residential buildings (34 hectares), with a relative area of over 58 percent, are located in a zone with a high risk of earthquakes.