Navigating Climate Change Challenges through Smart Resilient Cities: A Comprehensive Assessment Framework

Abstract

The rapid increase in the global population is contributing to the urgent challenges we face in ensuring the sustainability of our planet. This demographic shift, which gained momentum in the 1990s, is closely linked to a surge in natural disasters, both in terms of their frequency and severity. The quest for resources and improved quality of life, including the need for housing and essential services, has compounded these challenges. With the world’s population projected to double by 2050, and approximately two-thirds of this population expected to reside in urban areas, we are facing a complex web of interconnected issues that will significantly magnify the impacts of climate change-induced disasters. It is imperative that we build resilient cities capable of withstanding and adapting to these changes. However, the growing complexity of urban services and the necessity for integrated management raise questions about the preparedness of these resilient cities to comprehend and address the multifaceted challenges posed by climate change. In response to these critical concerns, this study endeavors to address the intersection of resilience and climate change. We propose the development of a Smart Resilient City Assessment Framework, comprising two core components: resilience re-evaluation and smartness evaluation. Each component consists of eight essential steps. The culmination of these steps results in a semi-quantitative index that accurately reflects the city’s position regarding resilience and smartness in the face of climate change-related disasters. To demonstrate the framework’s practicality and suitability, we present results from a hypothetical scenario focusing on water supply management, a critical aspect of climate change adaptation. The framework equips city managers with the necessary tools to re-evaluate their cities’ resilience, evaluate their capacity to address climate change-induced challenges, and make informed decisions on integrating resilience and smart solutions to pave the way for a more sustainable and climate-resilient future.

Spatial Development and Coupling Coordination of Society-Physics-Informational Smart City：A Case Study on Thirty Capitals in China

“…To address these challenges and promote sustainable urban development, a series of emerging concepts such as digital cities, smart cities, low-carbon cities, resilient cities, and knowledge cities have emerged. Among them, smart cities, due to their ability to effectively perceive and diagnose urban problems, have distinct advantages in resilience building [2], security risk governance [3,4], ecological environment protection [5], and sustainable development. They are regarded as a set of technological solutions for "comprehensive transformation, all-round empowerment, and revolutionary reshaping" of urban governance.…”

Spatial Development and Coupling Coordination of Society–Physics–Informational Smart Cities: A Case Study on Thirty Capitals in China

“…In response, a wave of innovative urban planning concepts has emerged, including digital cities, smart cities, low-carbon cities, resilient design, and knowledge hubs. Among these, the smart city concept stands out, offering unique advantages in resilience building [2], security risk governance [3,4], ecological environment protection [5], and sustainable development. They are regarded as a set of technological solutions for "comprehensive transformation, all-round empowerment, and revolutionary reshaping" of urban governance.…”