Evaluating the flexibility and centrality of the road network in Hail city using spatial network analysis in GIS

Abstract

Network analysis in GIS is one of the most powerful and useful tools; it can be used to produce urban network indicator maps and thus explore the resilience of the road network in times of crisis. The research aims to explore the resilience of the network, produce urban network indicator maps for the city of Hail, and identify neighborhoods that exhibit weak centralization, which makes them less able to respond to emergencies. To achieve its objectives, this study used the descriptive-analytical and quantitative approach by using urban network analysis (UNA) in ArcMap 10.8.2 to measure the indicators of centrality, accessibility, gravity centrality, betweenness centrality, closeness centrality, and straightness centrality. The results indicated that the old neighborhoods—such as Al Aziziyah and Al Mursalat—have a high degree of accessibility, gravity, betweenness, closeness, and straightness, and due to the structure of the old network, the resilience was less than the new neighborhoods, as the network in the new neighborhoods (except some neighborhoods such as Al Jabal and Al Naqra) showed better resilience in crisis despite the low level of accessibility, gravity, and straightness index due to better closeness and betweenness. The study recommends improving the resilience of the road network in old neighborhoods and implementing an urban management policy based on equitable population distribution. Attention must also be paid to improving the accessibility and gravity of new neighborhoods by improving infrastructure and creating more diverse services.