100 Resilient Cities (100RC), pioneered by The Rockefeller Foundation, announced that 35 cities from around the world have been invited to join the 100 Resilient Cities Network.

The announcement was made during The Rockefeller Foundation’s Urban Resilience Summit in Singapore. These cities are:

This second wave of cities will join 32 cities that won last  year’s 100 Resilient Cities Challenge, forming a growing network of urban centers around the world that are ready to respond to the social, economic and physical shocks and stresses that are a growing part of the 21^st century.

100 Resilient Cites was created by an initial $100 million commitment by the Rockefeller Foundation as part of their Centennial last year, recognizing the trends of urbanization and globalization that characterize this century.  

“Members of the 100 Resilient Cities network are leading the world in showing that not only is it possible to build urban resilience in every kind of city, but it’s an imperative,” said Dr. Judith Rodin, President of the Rockefeller Foundation.

“Cities are learning that by building resilience, not only will they be better prepared for the bad times, but also life is better in the good times, especially for the poor and vulnerable. It’s smart investment, and yields a resilience dividend that is a win for everyone.”

Why Resilient Cities?

As the number of people living in urban areas grows from 50% of the world’s population to an estimated 70% in 2050, cities around the world must cope with effects of rapid urbanization, globalization, climate change, and natural and man-made disasters.

Urban resilience is the capacity of individuals, communities, institutions, businesses and systems to survive, adapt and grow no matter what kinds of chronic stresses and acute shocks they experience.

From the impact of super-typhoons, to growing socio-economic inequality or the ability of city systems to respond to booming populations and waning food supplies, 100 Resilient Cities aims to equip urban areas with the tools and support network to design, develop and implement holistic solutions.

“Each city is unique, and through the 100RC network, cities are building on each other’s experiences, and learning the best resilience-building techniques,” said Michael Berkowitz, president of 100 Resilient Cities.

“By connecting cities with each other and to resilience-building experts, we are aiming to create a global practice of scalable resilience solutions, so that cities can respond to the challenges of this urban century more effectively and efficiently.”

Building a Global Network of Resilient Cities

The diverse list reflects the need to learn from cities of all sizes across the globe in order to adapt and innovate.

The cities in the 100Resilient Cities network face myriad sets of environmental and social challenges – ranging from rising threats of flooding and extreme weather, to intensifying strains on infrastructure and health systems, and deepening economic stresses –  and are on different points of their journey towards building a more resilient metropolis.

Each city on the network is eligible to receive grant funding to hire a Chief Resilience Officer, who will lead the analysis, planning and implementation of the city’s resilience strategy, working with different government agencies and across sectors of society.

They will also receive technical support and services they need as they work towards implementing that strategy, as well as access a variety of platform partners in the private, public, and nonprofit sectors. These partners will offer tools in areas such as innovative finance, technology, infrastructure, land use, and community and social resilience.

Selection Process

Momentum from last year’s inaugural challenge made this year highly competitive, spanning over 90 countries across six continents.

This year’s cities were chosen from nearly 350 applicants on the basis of their ability to demonstrate a unique vision for resilience, a long-term commitment to cutting across silos of government and sectors of society, a special attention to the needs of the poor and vulnerable. Network cities serve as a model for other global cities that seek to build their own resilience.

Member cities were selected upon the recommendation of an international panel of distinguished judges, including former president José María Figueres Olsen of Costa Rica; Dr. Donald Kaberuka, President of the African Development Bank; Dr. Isher Ahluwali, Chairperson for the Board of Governors on the Indian Council for Research on International Economic Relations; and President and CEO of the Asia Society, Josette Sheeran.  

The 100 Resilient Cities Challenge will open for its next round of city applications in mid-2015.