A GIS-Based System for Spatial-Temporal Availability Evaluation of the Open Spaces Used as Emergency Shelters : The Case of Victoria, British Columbia, Canada

Canadian emergency management planners have historically ignored the self-motivated evacuation procedures of people who cannot initially choose the safest evacuation areas. In densely developed urban areas, open spaces can be seen as ideal evacuation areas and should thus be included in shelter planning. In this study, the public open spaces in Great Victoria were selected as the study area and evaluated using GIS technologies. A multi-criteria TOPSIS evaluation model was used to conduct comprehensive quantitative evaluations of the open spaces’ safety, accessibility, and availability. Through hybrid process, service area, and POI aggregation coupling analyses, a model is created that provides an overall evaluation at the district level. In addition to providing a model for evaluating open spaces as emergency shelters, applicable to most Canadian cities, this study emphasizes the importance and disadvantages of open space emergency shelters in Canada, which have heretofore been ignored by decision makers. In Great Victoria, we found that the distribution of open spaces does not match the dynamics of the population distribution, meaning that through inadequate preparation some districts lack a safe evacuation place—this in an area where people are at high risk of earthquake disasters and their subsequent effects.