Resilient municipalities – Resilient in times of change
Climate crisis, demographic change, pandemics, energy insecurity and social polarisation present local authorities with complex challenges today. Cities and municipalities are the places where global crises are felt most acutely – and where solutions can become visible or emerge. The question of how local authorities can remain capable of acting even in difficult times is therefore increasingly becoming the focus of local planning and politics. Resilience offers a strategic framework for this.
Resilience describes the ability of a system to cope with crises, adapt to changing conditions and emerge stronger as a result. For local authorities, this means not only responding to a wide range of stresses – from natural disasters and social tensions to economic upheavals – but also being able to act with foresight and thus set the course for sustainable, future-proof development. Resilient local authorities are characterised by networked structures, adaptive administrations and active citizen participation. They promote cooperation between the administration, business and civil society and strengthen social cohesion. In addition, they develop early warning systems and use their knowledge gained from crisis experiences. This creates sustainable networks that are able to act quickly in crisis situations and build long-term trust.
Scientific studies show that the resilience of a community is closely linked to good governance, participatory decision-making structures and sustainable resource planning. Investments in education, digitalisation, infrastructure and social justice are considered key levers for strengthening crisis resilience in the long term. From a scientific perspective, resilience consists of the dimensions of robustness – the ability to withstand stress, adaptability – the ability to adapt to new circumstances, and transformability – the ability to actively shape change. For local authorities, resilience is therefore not a project with a fixed end point, but an ongoing process of learning and development. It is created through integrative thinking, forward-looking planning and the courage to break new ground.
In cooperation with Birte Kruse-Gobrecht, among others, corsus – corporate sustainability GmbH supports local authorities in developing resilience strategies and trains municipal employees in this area. The focus is on the following questions: How can municipal action be made future-proof? What structures and skills need to be established or further developed in order to remain capable of acting even under uncertain conditions? And how can resilience be successfully anchored as a cross-cutting task in administration and society?
