clay tiles mud floors Basic formats Combined formats Author collections high temperature mud Us Services Designers Antique Texture Projects Blog Contact tb. / Sustainability / Urban resilience: green and sustainable cities Urban resilience: green and sustainable cities Sustainability December 15, 2020 Urban resilience proposes a way of building cities that allow survival and adaptation to all types of changes from a sustainable point of view. Over the centuries, human beings have demonstrated a great capacity to adapt to different environments, trying to find a balance between natural space and the city. However, something went wrong along the way. As a result of climate change , natural disasters have increased in the last two decades. The future of the planet and the beings that inhabit it, not just humans, is more uncertain and unstable than ever. In this context of change, the concept of urban resilience or resilient city arises . Climate change and urban resilience According to data from UN-Habitat , the United Nations Human Settlements programme, 50% of the population lives in cities and this figure is expected to reach 70% in 2050. For this reason, it is necessary to find formulas that allow cities to face new challenges. Prepare for, resist and recover from any drastic and sudden change, whether caused by a natural or human catastrophe. Urban resilience provides these tools. It gives cities the ability to maintain continuity after disasters while positively contributing to adaptation and transformation regardless of their size or number of inhabitants.
In this way, earthquakes, fires, floods, hurricanes or droughts can be faced with minimal losses. Unfortunately, these alarm situations are becoming more frequent and unpredictable throughout the planet. We must also add the new scenarios that occur in the world after armed conflicts ; as well as sudden social or economic changes like the one we are experiencing globally due to the COVID-19 pandemic. What characterizes urban resilience For the United Nations , a resilient city "assesses, plans and acts to prepare for and respond to natural and man-made hazards, sudden and slow-onset, expected Austria Phone Number List and unexpected, in order to protect and improve people's lives, ensure development benefits, foster an investment environment and drive positive change. This ideal scenario is not as impossible as one might think a priori. There are three fundamental characteristics that a city must meet to be considered resilient: Persistence . It must be a lasting city. That is, it must anticipate possible impacts by maintaining and restoring basic services before and after the catastrophe. Adaptability . Turn change into opportunity. A city can only be resilient if it accepts that uncertainty is always present, but must respond to it by providing dynamic responses. Inclusivity . A resilient city must promote social cohesion and take into account the most vulnerable sector of its population in the event of a catastrophe. Buildings in the resilient city If we focus on the durability characteristic of urban resilience, it is inevitable to focus attention on the buildings that make up a city.
When we look at images after a natural disaster, we are shocked to see buildings and structures completely destroyed. This makes us aware of the urban vulnerability to which we are exposed. From the point of view of resilience, Sustainable Architecture is betting on a much more demanding architectural design , identifying the risk areas of a certain place. A design capable of establishing the possible risks that would occur in extreme situations that allows resilient strategies to be applied and buildings to resist the worst scenarios. This design cannot occur if it is not from the point of view of sustainability, including the use of natural and local low-carbon materials and the use of renewable energy. Urban sustainability and resilience However, this intelligent and efficient design being the key, so is the capacity for spatial reorganization in emergency situations. We have seen it recently in Spain when, in the midst of a health crisis and with hospitals completely overwhelmed, the Community of Madrid converted IFEMA into an equipped field hospital that offered temporary relief to the saturation of health centers. To achieve multipurpose buildings in critical situations, renewable energy sources, drinking water pipes, electricity outlets in common areas, etc. must be provided.