Spatial Development Policy of Georgia: Sectoral Problems and Prospects

Abstract

This integrated study presents a multidisciplinary framework that aligns professional safety research, critical infrastructure resilience, and national spatial development policy in Georgia. Drawing on four complementary documents — the National Spatial Development Concept (NSDC), a technical analysis of road tunnel fire safety, a simulation-based case study using CFD and MATLAB modeling, and a methodological review of universal safety research approaches — the paper constructs a unified evidence-based foundation for spatially informed risk governance.

Georgia’s NSDC outlines a long-term vision for balanced territorial development, emphasizing regional equity, climate resilience, and alignment with European standards. Achieving these goals requires embedding safety and risk assessment into the spatial planning process, particularly in relation to critical infrastructure such as road tunnels. The second layer of this study explores tunnel safety within the historical and contemporary context of the Silk Road, positioning Georgia as a strategic transit corridor in the Belt and Road Initiative. Here, infrastructure resilience — defined as the capacity to absorb, adapt, and recover from stressors — becomes a national imperative.

The third component applies advanced modeling techniques to a real-world tunnel scenario, integrating CFD-based smoke propagation analysis, agent-based evacuation simulations, and strategic risk indices (LRI, IDI, EEI). These tools quantify life safety, infrastructure damage, and economic impact, offering actionable insights for tunnel design, ventilation strategies, and emergency response planning. The final layer synthesizes universal research methodologies in occupational safety — including quantitative, qualitative, and mixed methods — and demonstrates their adaptability across sectors, from mining and healthcare to transport infrastructure.

Together, these components form a coherent, scalable model for integrating professional safety into spatial development. The findings underscore the necessity of interdisciplinary, data-driven approaches to infrastructure planning, where safety is not an afterthought but a foundational criterion. By embedding resilience metrics, GIS-based risk mapping, and digital twin technologies into national planning, Georgia can enhance both the security of its transit systems and the credibility of its spatial governance. This synthesis affirms that without such integration, spatial policy remains incomplete — and that professional safety research is not peripheral, but central to sustainable territorial development.