Topos – January 2022

Cities and metropolitan areas are the centre of life for over half of the world’s population. And although cities have suffered through shocks, crises, disasters and imponderables for as long as they've existed, they’re now becoming even more vulnerable. Just think of the present climate crisis and its consequences, of health crises, of environmental pollution, and of political and economic shifts – all these factors influence cities’ ability to adapt, to transform, to resist and to recover. A look back at urban history, however, shows that such shocks, crises and disasters have also increased our awareness of risk and shaped urban development to a considerable extent, thus contributing to new, more robust urban structures and to the implementation of necessary climate adaptation measures. Institutional structures, strategies and instruments for urban development have been developed during these processes to create resilient urban structures and systems that are more robust and more adaptable with regards to dealing with both current and future crises and disasters. Cities and their inhabitants are able to absorb and recover from the shocks, crises and stress they encounter. The question is how we – landscape architects, architects, urban designers, and urban planners – can support cities in their efforts to be more resilient and more robust? topos 116 – The Resilient City – will examine the very essence of robust, stress-resistant cities and analyse how planners and designers can work together to successfully develop them.