Eleven - Resilience and the City

Summary

As we try to understand all the forces that led us to this crisis, with cities at the forefront of it, we find ourselves facing the same old problems that were already here but not receiving decisive attention – growing levels of inequality, climate change as a global emergency, precarious work spreading, struggling health and care systems, unsustainable business models, and the crisis of mental health. Although over the past decade many cities have tried to become more proactive in addressing these issues and building local resilience, the virus is a test. In this chapter, I ask the following question: can cities build out of the crisis to sustain some of the collective sense of interdependence that has arisen in response to COVID-19 and central government policies? I respond to this question with optimism by underscoring the lessons that we have learnt so far and how we can take urban resilience more seriously in the years to come. But why should we turn our focus to cities and places and not countries and nations?

The city

Analysis based on nation states can sometimes mask the more nuanced picture of unbalanced growth within countries, especially regarding levels of income, wealth, wellbeing and sustainability. It could be that a country ranked as prosperous has just a few high-growth regions and a large number of ‘left behind’ places. Tackling such issues in the context of social, economic and environmental inequalities in ways that benefit all, not just a few, has become an urgent priority that is reshaping governance and networks in city regions across the world. That is the reason why most of the social innovation and progressive experiments that have emerged in recent years take the form of place-based solutions at the local level. It is no exaggeration to suggest that cities are leading the way towards more inclusive, sustainable and democratic futures. Likewise, it is no surprise that having played such a leading role they would also be at the forefront of the current and recent crises. This light and shadow are not only faces of the same coin, but are also the source of their potential to spark new ways of thinking, organizing and doing that will, ultimately, create urban resilience.