Ranking the Most Resilient Cities

Richard Barkham shares news of a study called “Resilient Cities” by Global property group Grosvenor to study and quantify the resilience of 50 of the world’s most important cities. Here’s how Barkham describes the study: “The study examined and ranked 50 of the world’s most important cities. Although these cities account for only 7 percent of the world’s population, they represent the major focus of most global real estate investment and consume the lion’s share of the world’s resources. Thus, the fact that so many struggle to meet basic levels of resilience indicates how unprepared the rest of the world is to face the next century’s major challenges.”

“Results from the study indicate that Canadian cities are the world’s most resilient, taking the three top positions, with Toronto having the highest score, followed by Vancouver and Calgary. Two inland U.S. cities, Chicago and Pittsburgh, come in next.”

“But the sand shifts when the cities are ranked purely in terms of adaptive capacity, with U.S. cities taking six of the seven highest positions. New York City leads the pack, followed by Toronto, Los Angeles, Washington, D.C., Chicago, San Francisco, and Houston.”

Barkham’s coverage also provides further explanation of terms like “vulnerability” and “adaptive capacity,” as well as a few case studies.