Resilience in the built environment: Key characteristics for solutions to multiple crises

In the last decade, our built environment has been exposed to a significant and wide range of crises, from primary (e.g., pandemic, climate change-induced hazards) to secondary crises, such as their associated physical and mental health impacts. However, previous literature has mainly focused on the impacts of a single type of crisis in the built environment and solutions for individual impacts.

Hence, in the face of multiple crises and their impacts that we are facing now, understanding the possible solutions and their characteristics is crucial to achieve a more resilient built environment. This paper aims to gain a better understanding about how different crises impact the built environment and which solutions have been proven effective, particularly as a response to multiple crises. First, a systematic literature review is presented, identifying main crises impacts on the built environment and their solutions. Secondly, through a qualitative data analysis, the main interconnections between the identified crises impacts and solutions were established. Findings highlight that the main solutions that provide resilience to multiple crises in the built environment, are (1) green and healthy infrastructures; (2) adaptable infrastructures; and (3) equitable and inclusive infrastructures. Finally, key characteristics for the design of resilient solutions for the built environment are discussed and an evaluation framework is proposed.