Issue 17: Adapting to a Disrupted World

Weathering the Storm with Resilience and Innovation

In 2019, the world witnessed some extreme weather events that were striking in their severity and scale: a record-breaking heatwave in Europe, drought in Africa, catastrophic wildfires in the Amazon rainforest, and widespread floods in India, among others.

The first half of 2020 has been equally tumultuous. The year began with devastating wildfires in Australia, followed by the COVID-19 pandemic and the Black Lives Matter movement for social justice that have disrupted life in cities across the world.

Whether the challenges relate to the environment, public health or black swans yet to emerge, it’s clear that change is the only constant. How can we deal with such disruptions to our cities?

Resilience and adaptation, say leaders and experts, are a key part of an effective response.

Judith Rodin discusses how cities can be flexible in adapting to social, political and economic disruptions, and how a systems approach can make a big difference when dealing with crises like the pandemic.

This is true of Singapore, whose urban development journey has been a tale of resilience and constant adaptation through urban systems innovation. Teo Chee Hean shares how the city- state is leveraging new opportunities to create innovative, sustainable solutions to address its climate challenges.

While many cities are in uncharted waters as they grapple with climate challenges, some have useful ideas and solutions to share.

Eric Garcetti shows how long-term planning can address both environmental challenges as well as social justice, while Anies Baswedan has made collaboration and community action the key elements of his city’s climate action plan.

Instead of fighting nature, Yu Kongjian demonstrates how to work with nature through the clever use of sponge city principles.

Other forces can create both disruption and opportunity. Robert Opp shares how the United Nations Development Programme is tapping technology and partnerships to make cities adaptable, inclusive and sustainable.

As environmental challenges and the COVID-19 pandemic force us to reimagine our cities, we hope this issue of Urban Solutions inspires readers to stay resilient and to apply human ingenuity in meeting the challenges and taking advantage of the opportunities ahead. I wish you all an enjoyable read.

Khoo Teng Chye
Executive Director
Centre for Liveable Cities