The most resilient cities in the world, including six in the U.S., have attributes that would enable them to recover better than others from devastating natural disasters.
A report by Grosvenor examined 50 major cities around the world and ranked them on their vulnerability and adaptive capacity in terms of their infrastructure, community, resources, environment, and climate.
Two-thirds of people will live in urban areas by 2050, according to U.N. estimates, so city planners face daunting challenges to cope with the impact of climate change and population growth. The top three resilient cities are Canadian (Toronto, Vancouver, Calgary), and six of the top 10 are from the U.S., led by Chicago and Pittsburgh.
The report examines five categories of vulnerability: climate, environment, resources, infrastructure, and community. The five categories of adaptability include governance, institutions, technical capacity, planning systems, and funding structures.
“Resources,” encompasses a city’s access to energy, food, and water. “Funding structures” covers the ability to borrow and tap into national and international money.
“The strong U.S. ranking is due to adaptive capacity, where resources, public accountability of elected officials, and the technology of the U.S. are dominating factors,” the report says. “This suggests that U.S. cities will continue to see a pattern of effective public intervention, but often only after a major shock has occurred.”“The least resilient cities are the ones facing the greatest pressure to grow,” the report says. “High rates of population growth, while beneficial to production and culture in the long term, are likely to challenge improved adaptive capacity in the short term.”
(http://www.fastcoexist.com/3029442/the-10-most-resilient-cities-in-the-world)
Related Stories
| May 3, 2012
Green-roof requirement now includes industrial facilities in Toronto
A mandate that requires installation of green roofs on new commercial and residential buildings in Toronto has been expanded to include industrial facilities.
| May 3, 2012
Innovative wastewater treatment helps achieve LEED rating
LEED for New Construction, Neighborhood Development and the LEED Volume Program offer some ways to achieve LEED points when dealing with wastewater treatment.
| Apr 26, 2012
Lack of bolts on steel support caused collapse at Cincinnati casino
Too few bolts connecting horizontal steel support beams with vertical steel columns was the cause of January’s construction accident at Horseshoe Casino Cincinnati, according to the report of the Occupational Safety and Health Administration.
| Apr 26, 2012
OSHA criticized for taking too long to roll out safety rules
The Occupational Safety and Health Administration takes far too long to adopt new safety regulations compared to other agencies’ development of rules, safety experts said during a Senate hearing.
| Apr 26, 2012
Contractors fear that GSA scandal will lead to fewer federal construction contracts
In the wake of the recent scandal at the General Services Administration in which workers spent lavishly at a Las Vegas conference, a spokesman for Associated General Contractors of America said contractors are worried the scandal will result in cuts to GSA's construction and renovation budgets.
| Apr 26, 2012
Developers can use LEED wastewater credits to help gain approvals in environmentally sensitive locales
Those wanting to pursue development in heavily regulated and environmentally sensitive areas are benefiting by designing projects that qualify for LEED points, even if the project as a whole does not achieve certification.
| Apr 26, 2012
New York City Council moves to license elevator mechanics
New York’s City Council introduced a measure last week that would require the city’s 7,000 elevator mechanics to meet national standards and be licensed by the city.
| Apr 23, 2012
AAMA releases updated specification for anodized aluminum
AAMA 611-12 describes test procedures and requirements for high performance (Class I) and commercial (Class II) architectural quality aluminum oxide coatings applied to aluminum extrusions and panels for architectural products.
