10 Features of a Resilient City – How Many Does Yours Have?

Resilient cities are able to withstand potential disasters, whether they are due to extreme weather, national or international economic meltdown, ... Skiptomaincontent CONTINUETOSITE➞ Search Transportation Buildings&Design Climate&Resilience Environment Governance Tech&Data Energy&Utilities ARCHIVES:ThisislegacycontentfrombeforeSustainableCitiesCollectivewasrelaunchedasSmartCitiesDiveinearly2017.Someinformation,suchaspublicationdatesorimages,maynothavemigratedover.Forthelatestinsmartcitynews,checkoutthenewSmartCitiesDivesiteorsignupforourdailynewsletter. 10FeaturesofaResilientCity–HowManyDoesYoursHave? Author DavidThorpe @DavidKThorpe Resilientcitiesareabletowithstandpotentialdisasters,whethertheyareduetoextremeweather,nationalorinternationaleconomicmeltdown,gridpowerblackoutsordisruptionsinfoodsupply.Theyare(orwouldbeiftheywerefullyrealised)likegrown-upversionsof transitiontowns. 'Resilience'isgenerallytakentomeanthatservicestendtobedecentralised,networkedandlocallysupplied,whilethebuiltenvironmentandinfrastructureisdesignedtodealwithdroughts,prolongedhighorlowtemperatures,orflooding.Kigali,Rwanda – isitaresilientcity?Someguidelinesformakingcitiesmoreresilienthavebeendevelopedbythe100ResilientCities(100RC)programmemanagedbytheRockefellerFoundation.(TheFoundationismanagedasasponsoredprojectbyRockefellerPhilanthropyAdvisors(RPA),anindependent501(c)(3)nonprofitorganizationthatprovidesgovernanceandoperationalinfrastructuretoitssponsoredprojects.ItisnothingtodowiththeRockefellerBrothersFund,thatlastweekannounceditwouldswitchitsinvestmentsfromoiltocleanenergy).Byaddressingboththeshocksandthestresses,aresilientcitybecomesmoreabletorespondtoadverseevents,andisoverallbetterabletodeliverbasicfunctionsinbothgoodtimesandbad,toallpopulations.MexicoCity,partofthe100RCnetwork.Ithasattemptedtocompilealistof10featuresaresilientcities,andtothisothershaveaddedmore,removingandcombiningsome.Hereisthecompiledlist. Doesyourcitypossessmanyofthem?1.Thereisgoodsupportforcycling,withcyclelanesandabikesharingscheme.2.Thereisagoodpublictransportsystem,withrapidtransitbuses,trainsormetros.3.Thecityhasahighwalkabilityscore,withgoodstreetconnectivity,well-maintainedfootpathsandpedestriancrossings,andnearbydestinations.4.Therearemanyplaces tochargeupanelectricorhybridvehicle,perhapswithworkplaceswithchargingfacilities.5.Localbuildingcodessupporttheuseofpassiveheatingandcoolingtominimiseenergyuseinbuildings.6.Buildingsusebiomimicryandthereareplentyofspacesfornature,withtreesplantedalongthestreetsandsustainableurbandrainage,orlowimpactdevelopment,thatcaneasilyabsorbexcessrainfall.7.It'spossibletoobtainlocallygrownfood,whetherfromcommunity-supportedagriculture,farmshops,indoorgrowing,communitygrowingschemesorallotments.8.Thereisadistrictheatingsystemandplentyoflocally-producedrenewableenergy.9.TheInternetisdeliveredthroughameshnetworkthatcanonlyfailifeverynodeinthenetworkfails,makingitmuchmorerobust.10.Therearewellattendedlocalneighborhoodassociationsorcivicgroupswithparticipatorybudgetingthatseeksinputofthecommunityandareceptivelocalauthority.FourbasiccriteriaaredefinedforthecitiesintheRockefellerFoundationnetwork:constantlearning,theabilitytoreboundquicklyfromdisaster,limitationsandpotentialfailures,andflexibility.The32citiesalreadyselectedforthe100RCnetwork–fromAshkelon,Israel,toVejle,Denmark–areprovidedwiththeresourcesnecessarytodeveloparoadmaptoresiliencealongfourmainpathways:Financialandlogisticalguidanceforestablishinganinnovativenewpositionincitygovernment,aChiefResilienceOfficer,whowillleadthecity'sresilienceefforts;Expertsupportfordevelopmentofarobustresiliencestrategy;Accesstosolutions,serviceproviders,andpartnersfromtheprivate,publicandNGOsectorswhocanhelpthemdevelopandimplementtheirresiliencestrategies;andMembershipofaglobalnetworkofmembercitieswhocanlearnfromandhelpeachother.Throughtheseactions,100RCaimsnotonlytohelpindividualcitiesbecomemoreresilient,butwillfacilitatethebuildingofaglobalpracticeofresilienceamonggovernments,NGOs,theprivatesector,andindividualcitizens.Thenextroundofthe100ResilientCitiesChallengeissettoopenin2015.WhilewaitingfortheDecember3announcementandthe2015Challenge,youcancontactthemtolearnmoreaboutjoiningtheresilientcitiesmovement. post share tweet print email Getthefreenewsletter SubscribetoSmartCitiesDivefortopnews,trends&analysis Email: Selectuserconsent: Bysigninguptoreceiveournewsletter,youagreetoour TermsofUseand PrivacyPolicy.Youcanunsubscribeatanytime. 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