Resilience is the ability of people, organizations or systems to prepare for, respond, recover from and thrive in the face of hazards. The goal is to ensure the continuity and advancement of economic prosperity, business success, environmental quality and human well-being, despite external threats. In a globalized world, only the most resilient cities will remain economically competitive and attractive for business growth, and capable of adapting to continually changing conditions.

This paper explores how the resilience of critical urban infrastructure systems might be enhanced to prepare cities more effectively for major weather-related hazards and the co-benefits resiliency actions have, e.g. environmental performance, energy efficiency, safety & security etc. Our research has focused on physical infrastructure relating to energy, transportation, water and buildings. These systems were chosen because they underpin many other essential city operations and services, including sanitation, emergency response, and the delivery of food, fuel and other materials. Our research considers proven technology solutions applicable to emerging and established cities, and the enabling actions required from policy makers, utility providers and other city stakeholders to facilitate delivery.