Resilent City Design (DP IB Geography)

Revision Note

Resilient City Design

What is urban resilience?

  • Resilience is defined as:

The ability to recover and rebound from challenges and setbacks

  • Urban resilience is how well the communities, businesses, population and systems in a city are able to function and be economically productive, no matter the issues faced

  • Although similar to sustainability, it focuses on:

    • Chronic stresses such as water and transport infrastructure

    • Shock events such as flooding or terrorism

Why are cities vulnerable?

  • The larger cities become and the higher the population densities, the more vulnerable they are

    • The UN estimates that 3 out of every 5 cities with a population over 500 000 are vulnerable to natural hazards

    • Some cities, such as Manila and Tokyo, are vulnerable to up to five natural hazards

    • There are only three of the world's megacities which are at low risk or no risk of natural hazards

  • Urban areas are centres of population and economic activity

  • When natural hazards affect urban areas, the effects are frequently more severe and expensive

  • Climate change is increasing the vulnerability of cities due to the increase in frequency and severity of flooding, drought and tropical cyclones

  • To be able to withstand these hazards, cities need to be resilient

Measuring resilience

  • The Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) states there are four components of resilience:

    • Economic 

    • Social

    • Environmental

    • Governance

  • These can be assessed using the following criteria:

Criteria to Assess Resilience

Economic

Social

Environmental

Governance

Diversity within its industries

A dynamic economy

Innovation

Access to education and skills training

An inclusive society

Active communities

Safe neighbourhoods

Healthy citizens

A diverse ecosystem

An infrastructure to meet basic needs

Sufficient natural resources

Policies regarding land use

Clear leadership and management

Integrated approaches

Skilled public sector

Open governance

Resilient city design

  • There are many ways in which resilience can be incorporated into urban planning, city and building design including:

    • Infrastructure improvements and resilience

    • Urban heat reduction

    • Energy efficiency

    • Creation of green spaces

    • Emergency preparedness

    • Flood mitigation

  • In cities which are vulnerable to tectonic hazards, there are several mitigations which may be put in place, including:

    • Improved planning and building regulations

    • Earthquake-resistant building design

    • Land use zoning to ensure vital infrastructure and buildings are not in the most vulnerable areas

    • Education to make the population aware of the actions to take before, during and after an event

    • Hazard mapping to identify the most vulnerable areas

Strategies to Manage Climatic Risks in Urban Areas

  • Climate change brings additional risks to urban areas

  • Many cities are located on coastlines and floodplains which are high-risk locations

  • Climatic risks include:

    • Flooding

    • Storms

    • Water-borne diseases

    • Heatwaves

    • Wildfires

    • Drought

Managing climatic risks

  • Many cities are now integrating planning and building design to mitigate these risks 

  • In Mexico City, water supply issues caused by drought mean that 40% of the population lacks access to regular water supplies

    • The city now has a goal of installing 10 000 rainwater harvesting systems each year in households across the city

  • In Melbourne, Australia, there have been increases in:

    • Stormwater harvesting to irrigate parks

    • Investment in green space to provide shade and enhance biodiversity

    • Permeable surfaces to reduce flooding risk

  • Many parts of The Netherlands are at risk of flooding. Rotterdam's strategies include:

    • Building design to cope with flooding and sea level rise 

    • Plans for a floating neighbourhood, which will have homes, offices, a school and a park

    • Water squares, which are areas set lower than the surroundings, can fill with and store water 

    • Increased green spaces and permeable surfaces to allow water to infiltrate

    • Working with residents to adapt housing by:

      • Moving wiring to upper floors 

      • Replacing wooden floors with more water-resistant coverings

      • Subsidising green roofs

      • Collection of rainwater

Strategies to Manage Geopolitical Risks in Urban Areas

  • Geopolitics are politics which are influenced by geographical factors, including:

    • Level of development

    • Resource availability

    • Land ownership

  • The main geopolitical threats to urban areas include:

    • War

    • Terrorism

    • Protests

    • Segregation of communities

    • Loss of economic power

Managing geopolitical risks

  • Increased threat of terrorism and protests have led many cities to implement strategies to reduce these risks

  • In London, UK, some of the strategies which have been implemented include:

    • External barriers to prevent vehicles from ramming buildings or infrastructure

    • Improved building materials which are blast-resistant

    • Better communications system

    • CCTV 

    • Increased security measures for people entering public buildings

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