At ULI’s Building the Resilient City conference, Jonathan Rose, president of the Jonathan Rose Companies, led a discussion with Paul Hawken, a prominent writer and environmentalist, and Peter Calthorpe, architect, urban designer and urban planner. In the panel titled “The Human and Social Dimensions of Resilience,” the panelists explored how resilience is built into communities and the lessons provided from studying the resilient qualities of natural systems. Much like cities, natural systems are integrated and complex with a myriad of internal connections. It is this complexity and interconnectedness that allow rapid response and adaptability in the face of change. With an eye on the future, the panelists discussed how these attributes can shape the resilient cities of tomorrow, with examples of implementations in China’s new megacities, and even help mitigate future carbon emissions. The benefits of community
resilience are substantial and far-reaching.
