An Research On Vulnerability Of Large City And Its Implication In Urban Planning

Vulnerability is a new field of research and an analytical tool. The thesis introdu- ces vulnerability to the research of urban safety and construct a research framework of vulnerability of large city. For one thing, it explores the theory and methods of vulner- ability research. For another, it analyzes the vulnerability of 19 large cities in China as a case. The thesis mainly consists of four parts:The first part reviews the research in progress of city safety and vulnerability pr- eparing for the research below.The second part built up the research framework of vulnerability of large cities. It contains the affect factors, mechanism, definition and evaluation. Vulnerability is an inherent property of cities. Large cities have more obvious property of vulnerability.Exposure to emergent events, sensitivity of disturbance, response capacity are three components of vulnerability of large city. The size, density and morphology, as well as the level of economic and social development, infrastructure and emergency management reflect the internal structure and affect urban vulnerability as the structural factors. And, exposure to emergent events are the stress factor. However, the paper take sensitivity and response capacity into consideration only owing to complexity and uncertainty of emergent disturbance.To evaluate vulnerability of large city, the paper uses a model consisting of sensibility and response capacity. Sensitivity index which positive correlated with vulnerability, consists of three index such as urban size, density and morphology. The level of economic and social development, infrastructure and emergency management make up the response capacity which negative correlated with vulnerability.The third part analyze vulnerability of 19 large cities in China and the evaluation of 19 large cities′vulnerability is the main point. The evaluation results indicate that, Harbin has the highest vulnerability in 19 cities. Beijing, Shanghai and Guangzhou ra- nk 5th, 9th, 12th. Shenzhen has the lowest vulnerability in the 19 cities. Beijing, Shan- ghai, Guangzhou and Tianjin have high sensibility and response capacity. Spatially, cities in the north have higher vulnerability than cities in the south. The results above relate to cities′natural geographical conditions, level of socio-economic development and infrastructure, regional status, history of disaster, history of urban planning and developing, policy of urban development, etc.The forth part is mainly about the implication of vulnerability analysis for urban planning. First, safety is the basis of urban planning since cities have vulnerability. Second, analysis on vulnerability of large city can be regarded as a new basis of urban planning. Planners should evaluate vulnerability of large city while planning. Third, considering size, density and morphology as a whole benefit for advance the principle of urban planning and perfect urban policy.