Resilient cities needed, as 70% of world population will live in cities by 2050

Cities the world over are committing to rethinking their urban environments to better face the realities of a changing world. Photo: AFP

What do the cities of Barcelona, Durban, Melbourne and Paris have in common? They are all resilient cities. And as lockdown measures return to cities worldwide due to the Covid-19 pandemic, the concept – which originated in the early 21st century – seems more relevant than ever.

A variety of dramatic events have seen populations worldwide follow similar patterns: healing their wounds before getting up and carrying on with life.