The role of infrastructure in enhancing urban resilience to natural hazards: a case study of Tehran

Urban resilience is paramount in mitigating the vulnerability of worn urban fabrics to natural hazards and safeguarding cities against irreparable damage. This study focuses on worn-out areas of Tehran city, analyzing their social and physical resilience dimensions. Adopting a descriptive-analytical approach, the research employs statistical methods such as one-sample t-tests, Pearson correlation, and regression coefficient analysis using SPSS and GIS. The statistical population comprises 230 randomly selected citizens residing in the study districts. The findings show that the physical dimension, with a score of 3.31, is more important than the social dimension, with a score of 2.81, which emphasizes the need to strengthen urban resilience. According to the results of this study, the studied areas do not have sufficient stability and resilience against natural disasters. Prospective analyses conducted using Geographic Information System (GIS) and the Mic Mac strategic studies model indicate the complexity of factors affecting urban resilience. These analyses reveal the high impact of variables and the interrelationships between them. In particular, it has been found that indicators related to infrastructure and management have a more significant impact in Region 7 compared to Region 15, which emphasizes the need to develop targeted intervention strategies. This comprehensive study provides a better understanding of urban resilience mechanisms and emphasizes the importance of coordinated planning and preventive measures to strengthen vulnerable urban areas. Ultimately, the results of this study show that adopting appropriate and coordinated measures is essential to ensure the safety and sustainability of cities.