The application of resilience theory in urban development: a literature review

Environ Sci Pollut Res Int. 2022 Jul;29(33):49651-49671. doi: 10.1007/s11356-022-20891-x. Epub 2022 May 23.

Abstract

In the complex context of urbanization and climate change, how to improve the resilience of cities to deal with various uncertain and unpredictable threats is a new topic with both theoretical and practical challenges. In this paper, the researches on urban resilience are summarized using the bibliometric analysis combined with the visualization analysis. We provide a systematic and objective review of resilience applied to urban development focusing on its conceptual frameworks, research tendencies, and assessment methods. The analysis results demonstrate that an increasing attention has been given to urban resilience, especially in the field of climate change. The degree of research varies significantly in different countries, with the USA dominating in the number of publications, followed by the UK and China. Scholars' attention to urban resilience in different periods is closely related to the development background and disasters experienced by their countries, but there are also some commonalities. Meanwhile, the multi-dimensional research on urban resilience has been recognized by many scholars. Quantitative assessment tools such as simulation model and optimization model have been widely used to assess the level of urban resilience. Based on this, we put forward the future research trends in this field and provide a potential guide for future application of urban resilience.

Keywords: Bibliometric analysis; Development tendency; Resilience; Sustainable development; Urban development; Visualization analysis.

Publication types

  • Review

MeSH terms

  • Cities
  • Climate Change
  • Disasters*
  • Urban Renewal
  • Urbanization*