Urban resilience patterns after an external shock: An exploratory study

Resilience has in recent years become an established concept in dynamic systems analysis. It is also increasingly employed in dynamic spatial systems, such as cities. The present paper offers an evidence of resilience of urban systems after an external shock. It pays particular attention to natural disasters affecting a cityʼs system. A typology of different types of disasters and of related damage is presented, from a global perspective on the regional occurrence of such calamities. The cost and recovery potential after an external shock are statistically explored. We find that population size and density are critical parameters for the order of magnitude of disaster damage. The comprehensive approach to urban resilience based on risk assessment, identification and management proposed in this paper helps to depict a feasible urban resilience pattern after an external shock.