New report charts the evolution of urban resilience

It’s 2009. The world has failed to reach a meaningful international climate agreement at COP15 in Copenhagen. Despite increased climate action, cities and regions are increasingly feeling the effects of climate change. Mitigation alone is not enough – cities and regions around the world need to build resilience. Responding to this need, ICLEI launched the 

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South American visions for nature-based resilience

by Sophia Rettberg, Resilient Cities 2019 Guest Blogger One of the most urbanized regions in the world, over 80 percent of the population in Latin America lives in cities. Cities throughout the region are focusing on building resilience through improved environmental management, and the integration of biodiversity and nature-based solutions. In Uruguay, flooding has become 

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#ResilientCities Day 3 in the Twittersphere

These past three days of the Resilient Cities Congress was overflowing with inspiring messages and innovative ideas that give hope for the future of our cities. More than that, it was three days of cultural and societal exchange. To keep the spirit of the Congress alive, here are some of the best tweets from the 

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From rubbish to resource: Building resilient urban food systems

by Sophia Rettberg, Resilient Cities 2019 Guest Blogger Food waste is a global issue. According to the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization, more than one third of all food worldwide is wasted. When it comes to food waste, the US ranks second worst in the world, wasting around 40 percent of the food produced 

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#ResilientCities Day 2 in the Twittersphere

Today’s congress attendees, armed with laptops, tablets and smartphones, look different than the Resilient Cities attendees of the last 10 years. They’re no longer sitting quietly taking notes during presentations. They are using new tools to connect the conversations around resilience with others in and outside the room. Thursday’s main tracks focused on fundamental topics 

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How design thinking and landscape architecture can help cities regain their resilience

by Sophia Rettberg, Resilient Cities 2019 Guest Blogger Environmental hazards such as flooding, heat waves and droughts are increasingly common challenges for cities around the globe. As these issues demand on-going adaptation and innovation, local governments have turned to design thinking – a people-centered approach for building products and services – for solutions. Landscape architecture and 

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#ResilientCities in the Twittersphere

Never underestimate the power of the 280-character tweet, where we get to see throughout the Congress the ideas and people who are inspiring the most conversation and exchange. In this year’s 10th anniversary of the Resilient Cities Congress, Twitter gives us the greater panorama on resilience, climate change, and global warming. Here’s what people are 

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Resilient Cities Don’t Fear Rainy Days

Lykke Leonardsen is constantly thinking about rainy days… even when it’s sunny outside. But you really can’t blame her. Ever since Copenhagen’s 100-year storm on July 2 of 2011,  which caused major flooding and extensive infrastructure damage, city officials such as Leonardsen, who heads Copenhagen’s program for Resilient and Sustainable City Solutions, have been preoccupied 

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Resilient Cities 2018: Driving global conversations

Knowledge exchange and technical deep dives are always core elements of the annual Resilient Cities congress. The program is designed for a critical examination of emerging issues in urban resilience and informative exchanges around them. Sessions cover a diversity of topics, so that every participant can find his or her place in the conversation, from 

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Rising optimism for sinking land? Stories from Louisiana

by Charlotte Rasche, Masters Candidate at KTH Royal Institute of Technology and Resilient Cities 2018 volunteer How can a government take action if roughly every 100 minutes an area the size of football field is drowning? In Louisiana, the coastal landmass is disappearing under water. An interplay of factors is contributing to this development, including natural sediment 

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