Institutionalizing Urban Resilience: A Midterm Monitoring and Evaluation Report of 100 Resilient Cities

The world today is more densely populated and more interconnected than ever before, with more than 70% of the global population projected to live in urban areas by 2050. Cities are centers of innovation and prosperity, and yet, disproportionality bear the impacts of 21st-century challenges such as climate change, inadequate infrastructure, population growth, and social and economic inequity. In 2013, The Rockefeller Foundation launched 100 Resilient Cities (100RC) to help cities around the world become more resilient to the physical, social and economic challenges that are a growing part of the 21st-century. It was founded on the belief that business-as-usual models of reactive planning and siloed decision-making will not engender the fundamental strength and flexibility essential for cities and communities to thrive in the face of shocks and stresses.

In line with our principle around contributing to the evidence-base, in 2013, the foundation provided financial support for the Urban Institute to evaluate the impact and sustainability of 100RC and assess what is working well and what should be improved in the ongoing management, implementation, and collaboration with member cities. We are pleased to share these mid-term results with our partners and stakeholders and to contribute to the broader learning in the field of urban resilience. By advancing this public-philanthropic collaboration, we hope to continue to strengthen global cities’ resilience, enabling people, communities and institutions to be prepared for, withstand and emerge stronger from future shocks and chronic stresses.