As urbanization is a global phenomenon, cities and urban areas all over the world witness rapid population growth. According to 2011 World Urbanization Prospects (Department of the Economic and Social Affairs, Population Division of United Nations, 2012), 52.1% of the entire world population reside in cities. Rapid growth of urban areas has caused a wide range of urban problems such as shortage of affordable housing, traffic congestion, and environmental degradation. The human habits concentrated in urban areas have also been vulnerable to natural and man-made disasters and hazards which have constantly destroyed and threatened citizens’ lives and private properties. A safer living environment is a critical issue for any urban area to address to create a prosperous and sustainable human habitat.
