Analysis of current two-way evacuation routes based on residents׳ perceptions in a historic preservation area

Historic preservation areas are extremely vulnerable to disasters because many persons in need of aids live in the many wooden houses standing close together. It is also difficult to widen narrow streets to prevent disasters. Therefore, securing two-way evacuation routes is very important for people living in such areas. Considering these circumstances, this study aims to discover how to secure two-way evacuation routes for a historic preservation area. The study area is Hamashozu Machi Hamakanaya Machi, located in Kashia City, Saga Prefecture, and supported under the Cultural Properties Protection Law, Japan. First, some preliminary meetings were held with a member of a self-imposed disaster prevention organization in this area to find primary evacuation places, and an interview survey was given to the residents to ascertain available emergency routes from each house to a temporary safe place. Second, the possibility of securing two-way evacuation routes under the present conditions of the study area was analyzed and estimated, using the results from calculating the evacuation time. The results of the analysis are as follows: (1) normal persons can reach a primary evacuation place within the target evacuation time, and (2) it would be especially difficult for persons in need of aids to reach a primary evacuation place. Some spatial problems in the study area were also discovered. We analyzed evacuation time by comparing the first evacuation route with other evacuation routes in order to discern the fundamental problems with two-way evacuation routes in this historic preservation area.