Evaluation of the Suitability of Assembly Areas with Optimum Location Analysis: The Case of Mustafakemalpaşa District (Bursa)

Abstract

Planning and management of assembly areas constitute one of the first steps of disaster management processes. As a matter of fact, these areas are of vital importance in terms of preventing the chaos after large-scale disasters such as earthquakes and ensuring that people can gather safely and access relief services. In the study, it was aimed to determine the location characteristics of the assembly areas in Mustafakemalpaşa district, the adequacy and suitability of the areas. Optimal Location Analysis and Analytical Hierarchy Process (AHP) were used in the process of determining the suitability of the assembly areas. Thus, suitable and unsuitable assembly areas were identified. According to the results, it was determined that 6 of the 37 existing assembly areas are not suitable to be used as disaster assembly areas and 24 assembly areas do not meet the population criterion of 2.5 m2 per person. Within the framework of the findings obtained and the suggestions developed, it was revealed that the earthquake assembly areas in Mustafakemalpaşa district should be revised again. © 2025 Afet ve Acil Durum Yonetimi Baskanligi (AFAD). All rights reserved.