An examination and analysis of the clustering of healthcare centers and their spatial accessibility in Tehran metropolis: Insights from Google POI data

Abstract

Metropolises, as centers of diverse activities, encounter numerous challenges, including equitable access to healthcare services. This study examines the inequality in healthcare center accessibility in Tehran, a critical factor for sustainable urban development. Utilizing Google Point of Interest data, healthcare center clusters in Tehran were identified, and various clustering algorithms were tested. The Mean Shift Cluster algorithm was the most effective method. The study also mapped accessibility by analyzing the radius of neighborhoods around urban blocks. The findings reveal a significant imbalance in the distribution of healthcare centers in the city, with a concentration in the city center that does not align with population density-a key indicator of demand. Notably, District 7, despite being centrally located, relatively has a higher clusters' concentration of lowerquality healthcare centers. The findings reveal that four sub-districts situated in the peripheral regions of Tehran city, which collectively account for approximately 6.3 of the city's total area, exhibit significantly lower accessibility to the healthcare centers compared to other sub-districts. Overall, the areas with superior accessibility are predominantly found in the city center and extend towards the north, with accessibility decreasing as one moves towards the outskirts of the city. These results underscore the need for targeted urban planning to address the uneven distribution of healthcare resources and promote equitable access across Tehran.