Sustainable Cultural Environments in Resilient Cities

Resiliency in cities ensures the continuity of knowledge, advancement, and the legacy of humanity. Natural disasters are a frequent reality for some nations of the world and are quickly becoming a reality for all of us, with the continuous degradation of the environment due to climate change.

The majority of the world's population today resides in cities and urban areas. Due to the complexity of these new difficulties, which span the economic, social, and ecological spectrums, these cities' susceptibility has greatly grown. Numerous studies have shown that persistent stressors and unanticipated dangers can exacerbate social breakdown, and economic suffering, and even lead to bodily collapse. While many cities have survived for millennia, the more recent rise of urban-related stresses and shocks, such as climate change, significant natural catastrophes, different geopolitical conflicts, and a scarcity of natural resources, is necessitating a greater need for resilience than ever before.

It is within our power to realize the vision of cities as places where we flourish, strive for greater heights, and improve our lives. We can lessen the effects of climate change and improve the lives of people living in cities by implementing modern advancements in urban planning that favor walking or cycling to get to a destination, encourage the use of renewable energy as a resource, incorporate green landscapes and lush forestry within the city, and put in place efficient & effective transit systems for use by all.

The 1^st Issue of the 8^th Volume of the Environmental Science and Sustainable Development extensively discusses topics such as:

• The Significance of Sustainable Practice Implementation in Cities
• Designing for Environmental Resiliency
• Resilience at a city scale
• Resilience at a building scale
• Resilience at a community scale
• Resilience at an ecological scale

 

Towards Resilient Communities

A fundamental shift in thinking is necessary to address an enormous challenge like climate change. In order to transition from an irresponsible, unsustainable method of production, transportation, and consumption to a more sustainable, renewable one, a fundamental redesign of our way of life is required. To do this, thorough measurements are needed, and gathering information on the effects of particular actions is essential if we are to mitigate them appropriately.

In many regions of the world, where governments and policymakers have quickly grasped the negative effects of the disastrous path of unsustainable consumerism, the sustainable development paradigm is being promptly adopted. Comprehensive planning is necessary for environmental sustainability in a number of areas, including waste management, nature-based solutions, responsible urban design, and cutting-edge decarbonization strategies in cities. The development of dependable and strong public transportation systems that reduce reliance on cars, the incorporation of renewable energy into the infrastructure of urban areas, and material innovations in recycling and waste management are all methodologies and techniques that aim to improve environmental sustainability in cities.

The 2^nd issue in the 8^th volume of the Environmental Science and Sustainable development journal extensively discusses climate change and resilient communities that mitigate its devastating effects. Topics that are discussed in this issue include:

• Climate Change Impacts, Mitigation, and Adaptation
• Sustainable Planning and Design of Urban and Rural Areas
• Decarbonization of the Built Environment
• Climate-related Governance and Challenges
• Nature-based solutions
• Co-benefits and synergies between adaptation and mitigation measures