What is Urban Resilience?

The measurable ability of any urban system, with its inhabitants, to maintain continuity through all shocks and stresses, while positively adapting and transforming toward sustainability.

Resilience is a catalyst for sustainable urban development. It ensures development gains are not lost when cities face shocks and urban residents can flourish in a safe environment while addressing major challenges such as climate change and rapid urbanisation.

The Challenge

A resilient city assesses, plans and acts to prepare for and respond to all hazards – sudden and slow-onset, expected and unexpected – especially those stemming from climate change.

Every year, an estimated 26 million people are pushed into poverty by natural disasters (World Bank) with the poorest worst affected. In many cities, resilience building is limited by a lack of capacity, limited engagement from stakeholders, no tools or guidance tailored to local contexts and a shortage of funding. UN-Habitat is addressing these key bottlenecks.

News and Stories

Featured Stories & Videos

Featured Stories & Videos

Highlighted Publications

Regional Report
Crisis Resilient Urban Futures - The Future of Asian & Pacific Cities 2023
Global Report
Cities and Pandemics: Towards a more just, green and healthy future
Regional Report
Regional Assessment on Urban Vulnerability and Resilience in Southern African Development Community Member States
Toolkits, Manuals and Guides
Climate Change Vulnerability and Risk – A Guide for Community Assessments, Action Planning and Implementation
Toolkits, Manuals and Guides
Supporting Safer Housing Reconstruction After Disasters - Planning and Implementing Technical Assistance at Large Scale
Toolkits, Manuals and Guides
Settlement Profiling Tool

Donors and partners

Through collaborative groups like the Medellin Collaboration for Urban Resilience and the Global Alliance on Urban Crises, we forge partnerships with all the major actors working on urban resilience, including donors, local governments and their networks, humanitarian organizations, UN agencies and academia. We aim to bring more cohesion and understanding around urban resilience thinking, practice and needs through dialogue, partnerships and research.

Our Experts

David Evans
Chief, Capacity Development and Training Unit
Urban Practices Branch, Global Solutions Division