Enhancing urban climate resistance through the application of selected strategies and technologies

Enhancing the resilience of cities and, more broadly, of societies, to cope with the consequences of climate change and emergencies has become increasingly critical. Climate change is already affecting many parts of the world, with its impacts ranging from frequent and severe extreme weather events to extreme temperatures and prolonged droughts. Improving resilience requires concerted action at different levels, ranging from individual, to community, to national and global, and across different public and private domains. The proposed methodologies can be tools in assisting in this rigorous effort, to formulate resilience-oriented regulations.

Several definitions of resilience exist. In this work, resilience is defined as the capability to deal with shocks and stresses while continuing to meet the essential needs of the community (e.g. [1]). Conceptual studies recognize that various plans and strategies need to be developed to increase the aptitude of communities to manage risks and adapt to changes [2]. A climate-resilient society would be low-carbon, prepared to deal with the realities of a changing climate. This requires both mitigation (reducing greenhouse gas GHG) emissions and adaptation to existing and imminent climate threats. These strategies are complementary, not exclusive, and function together to enhance the capacity of urban systems to respond to and recover from adverse conditions. Spatial design strategies in communities and neighborhoods play a critical role in adapting to climate change. Such domains as water management, food availability, shelter, and energy can benefit from enhanced design strategies to ensure urban sustainability and protection of fundamental human rights [3, 4]. Ultimately, sustainability acts as the guiding principle, ensuring that efforts to build resilience contribute to the long-term environmental, social, and economic health.

Resilience of selected urban systems to climate and natural disasters was studied in diverse literature. For instance, Salimi, & Al-Ghamdi [5] present a review of key impacts of climate change in urban areas of the Middle East, and of climate change adaptation strategies to enhance the resilience to climate change-driven events. The relationship between buildings, water, energy and food is evident; resilience of one system relates to that of the others. Daher et al. [6], developed a common framework that combines water-energy-food (WEF) nexus literature with different types of shocks.

Responsible planning of new urban form, or restoration of existing areas, can reduce significantly the impacts of different shocks and disturbances. Strategic infrastructure programmes relating to water, energy, shelter and food supply can be designed and built to adapt to disasters. Water management facilitates the mitigation of shocks and disturbances ranging from drought to flooding. Food production can be enhanced by urban agriculture and sustainable farming, securing food supply. Resilient shelter design mitigates against shocks such as extreme weather and ensures the habitability of structures. Reliable power supply is ensured by strategic infrastructure design and the use of renewable energy technologies and smart grids reducing the frequency and impact of shocks like blackouts.

Research in urban planning underscore a multidimensional approach to enhancing urban resilience through technological innovation, ecological balance, and cultural wisdom. For instance, Bueno et al. [7] demonstrate the critical role of resistance–capacitance (RC) network models in predicting and enhancing the energy performance of buildings within varied urban climates. Chondrogianni and Stephanedes [8] assess urban planning methods through the lens of bioclimatic design, emphasizing the need for urban spaces that not only achieve ecological balance but also remain resilient against climatic changes. Their evaluation sheds light on planning strategies that effectively integrate environmental considerations to improve urban resilience. Marshall and Twill [9] delve into the potential of Indigenous knowledge to inform climate resistance strategies, advocating for a regenerative approach to urban planning. Their research highlights methods of blending traditional ecological insights with contemporary planning practices to create sustainable urban landscapes that are well-adapted to future environmental challenges.

A myriad of tools had been developed to assess urban resilience. For instance, Tyler and Moench [10] reviewed diverse concepts and theories to illustrate methods of developing operational frameworks for practitioners. This framework summarizes theoretical and empirical knowledge of resilience factors, and proposes methods to translate those concepts into practice. Mehryar, Sasson, and Surminski [11] analyzed 27 tools for measuring urban climate resilience and conducted semi-structured interviews with experts from over 100 cities. This study highlights that about one-third of the analyzed tools support the implementation of resilience actions, while the rest focus on knowledge sharing and raising awareness. They identified that some tools are more effective in influencing transformational decision-making by providing proactive strategies, long-term climate information, and participatory planning, focusing on smart architecture, risk reduction integration in urban policies, incentives for risk reduction, and enforcement mechanisms.

This document focuses on taking proactive measures to enhance the resilience of urban areas and communities. It explores various design strategies and technologies to enhance the overall resilience of existing and new communities, based on current and avant-garde solutions, and compiles them in a comprehensive database. The study introduces a novel framework designed to enhance urban resilience by systematically evaluating and prioritizing the identified strategies across key urban domains. A flexible scoring system adaptable to local contexts is utilized to assess these strategies, based on six resilience criteria including cost, maintenance, and scalability. The novelty of the framework consists of enabling the integration of strategies across multiple domains, allowing to assign priorities based on specific objectives and to identify optimal combinations of strategies that address multiple resilience goals simultaneously. This data-driven approach provides a strategic, adaptable toolkit supporting informed decision-making in urban resilience planning, tailored to the unique challenges and resources of diverse urban settings.

This approach addresses a clear research gap by offering a quantifiable and strategic tool to assess and implement resilience strategies that align with the needs and resources of urban environments. The framework’s versatility allows for both specific and broad applications, aiming to achieve comprehensive resilience goals effectively.

source :

https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s44327-024-00018-2