Over 50% of the world’s population will be living in cities by 2050. Cities attract people with opportunity: employment and access to entertainment, cultural and leisure facilities, restaurants and public transport. However, the potential benefits of urban living can be diminished, and in some cases outweighed, by a wide range of stresses and shocks.
Rapid urbanisation, our changing climate, suburban sprawl and political instability amplify these challenges and society must take action to build resilience into our cities to ensure they thrive in the long term. Each city will face a unique set of challenges depending on its spatial attributes, physical attributes, its population and demographics and how it is organised.
A resilient city will assess, plan and respond to these challenges in order to protect and enhance people’s lives, secure development gains, foster an investible environment and drive positive change.