Will Engineered Resilience Eclipse Sustainability?

Rives Taylor pens an editorial for Urban Land advocating for "engineered resilience", which he describes as "next-generation sustainability" that "adds adaptability and the protection of human life" to planning for the well-being of the planet.

2 minute read

August 6, 2012, 10:00 AM PDT

By Jonathan Nettler @nettsj


Taylor, a principal at Gensler, dives into the growing discussion over the concept of resilience amongst those in the planning and development community. He sees engineered resilience as the logical progression of sustainability to embrace, "climate uncertainty, predicted rises in sea level, and terrorism (all of
which have exposed deep vulnerabilities in our built environment and
infrastructure), as well as something exquisitely calculable: risk
management."

In his practice orchestrating sustainability and resilience planning for clients around the world, Taylor finds that "sustainability is morphing into resilience," with "companies
often redirecting their 'greening' costs to a broader program of
resilience." He regards the greatest challenge to those assisting clients with designing, developing, and operating redundant buildings, "is to keep resilience human, stopping well short of creating buildings and campuses that look and live like bomb shelters."

"That is exactly how engineered resilience should be approached-not by an
obvious 'hardening' and dehumanizing of a building, but by designing it
to be flexible and adaptable when put under stress," writes Taylor. "That is largely
done by designing multiple redundancies (also known as diversity) into
its critical systems for power and water, into a smart envelope, into
the site design, and into the building's connection to the community. If
one system or approach fails, another is designed to kick in, and
potentially another after that, as part of a well-choreographed response
to trouble-like a boxer bobbing and weaving to avoid a punch and remain
standing." 

Wednesday, July 25, 2012 in Urban Land

portrait of professional woman

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching. Mary G., Urban Planner

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching.

Mary G., Urban Planner

Cover CM Credits, Earn Certificates, Push Your Career Forward

Aerial view of town of Wailuku in Maui, Hawaii with mountains in background against cloudy sunset sky.

Maui's Vacation Rental Debate Turns Ugly

Verbal attacks, misinformation campaigns and fistfights plague a high-stakes debate to convert thousands of vacation rentals into long-term housing.

July 1, 2025 - Honolulu Civil Beat

Logo for Planetizen Federal Action Tracker with black and white image of U.S. Capitol with water ripple overlay.

Planetizen Federal Action Tracker

A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.

July 9, 2025 - Diana Ionescu

Map of Haussmann's redesign of Paris in the 1850s through 1870s under Napoleon III.

In Urban Planning, AI Prompting Could be the New Design Thinking

Creativity has long been key to great urban design. What if we see AI as our new creative partner?

June 30, 2025 - Tom Sanchez

View of dense apartment buildings on Seattle waterfront with high-rise buildings in background.

King County Supportive Housing Program Offers Hope for Unhoused Residents

The county is taking a ‘Housing First’ approach that prioritizes getting people into housing, then offering wraparound supportive services.

July 11 - Real Change

Aerial view of suburban housing near Las Vegas, Nevada.

Researchers Use AI to Get Clearer Picture of US Housing

Analysts are using artificial intelligence to supercharge their research by allowing them to comb through data faster. Though these AI tools can be error prone, they save time and housing researchers are optimistic about the future.

July 11 - Shelterforce Magazine

Green bike share bikes parked in a row on a commercial street with outdoor dining and greenery.

Making Shared Micromobility More Inclusive

Cities and shared mobility system operators can do more to include people with disabilities in planning and operations, per a new report.

July 11 - Cities Today