22 April 2025 – New guidelines designed to help city authorities prepare for and respond to disasters, economic shocks, and climate change, ranging from flooding to pandemics, has been published by BSI, in light of UN forecasts that by 2050 2.5 billion more people will be living in cities.
The guidance aims to improve urban resilience and quality of life in the face of global social, environmental, technical and economic challenges. Five years after Covid-19 disrupted life in cities globally, and with the IPCC stating that disasters prompted by the climate crisis are already worse than previous predictions, it sets out steps to reduce losses following disruption, boost understanding of the urban area’s strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats, and ultimately improve community cohesion.
Urban resilience is the ability of an urban system to anticipate, prepare, respond to and absorb shocks, chronic stresses, uncertainties and change, and then to positively adapt and transform in the face of stress and uncertainty, while facilitating inclusive and sustainable development. It includes designing and building infrastructure that can withstand disasters such as earthquakes or extreme weather, integrating smart technologies, or developing robust emergency response plans.
Security and resilience — Community resilience — Principles, framework and guidelines on urban resilience (BS ISO 22371:2024) provides a framework for how to build capacity to better manage disruptive events, minimizing the impacts on residents, including the most disadvantaged and vulnerable, and continually improve urban resilience.
The framework sets out five key steps, including governance structures, developing the strategy, planning and testing scenarios, and monitoring and measuring what has happened. It also clarifies who should be involved, for example, the assembling of an inclusive steering committee.
The guidance, published by BSI in its capacity as the UK National Standards Body, seeks to create a culture of resilience through increased awareness, effective planning, public engagement, increased connection to place, sense of belonging and community pride.
This document is applicable to all urban context and governance structures and is intended to be used by all organizations with accountability for resilience of services in urban communities.
Anne Hayes, Director of Sectors and Standards Development, BSI, said: “With more people than ever living in urban areas, and increasing challenges prompted by the climate crisis and other factors, preparing for different eventualities is critical. This guidance has been developed in response to increasing global need for clarity on the development and implementation of strategies to address the challenges the world faces, now and in the future.
“While we cannot anticipate every situation, there is much governments, organizations and others in leadership roles can do to plan and prepare in order to embed urban resilience and protect society’s most vulnerable.”
Download the Security and resilience — Community resilience — Principles, framework and guidelines on urban resilience (BS ISO 22371:2024) here.
