CHOICE BEHAVIOR MODEL OF REFUGE BUILDING SELECTION DURING A TSUNAMI IN COASTAL AREAS

This study aims to formulate a numerical model to predict choice behavior of refugees seeking a tsunami refuge building in a coastal area. We interviewed respondents about their choice of building during a tsunami and analyzed their selection behavior. Such choice behavior was then modeled using a logit model. The findings reveal factors that attract refugees toward a particular building in coastal areas. This model consists of the utility variables that are psychological utility of the refuge direction, the distance to the tsunami refuge building, the tsunami refuge building located at inland, the height of the tsunami refuge building and the capacity of the tsunami refuge building. We analyzed choice behavior models of different attributions by respondents' age or gender. As a result, parameters of these models were different by each attributions. We have quantitatively indicated the characteristics that attract refugees to the tsunami refuge buildings.