Glasgow and Bristol picked for resilient cities drive

Glasgow and Bristol are among 33 cities that have been chosen by the Rockefeller Foundation as part of a new programme aimed at improving the resilience of cities around the world to major shocks.

The 33 cities are the first of a projected 100 to be included in the programme, which is aimed at helping cities to “prepare for, withstand, and bounce back rapidly from shocks and stresses”.

The chosen cities will receive support to hire a chief resilience officer to develop a resilience plan to “take stock of existing efforts, identify priority areas of needs, conduct analysis to understand the interconnected risks and opportunities, and develop a clear and actionable set of priorities and initiatives.”

The cities will also be given access to a platform of services to support the implementation of a resilience strategy and will have able to share best practice between other members of the resilient cities network.

Entrants were asked to submit a description of how they were planning to decrease vulnerabilities, which was then judged by a panel that included former US president Bill Clinton and former Nigerian premier Olosegun Obasanjo.

For Bristol’s entry, the city pointed to a projected $2.7bn (£1.7bn) investment in new and renewed infrastructure, which it says will help to become “future proofed” by 2020.

Glasgow noted its commitment to energy efficiency, reducing emissions and a healthier environment for its citizens.

Other notable inclusions include New York City, where Hurricane Sandy hit just over a year ago, and earthquake-hit Christchurch, New Zealand.

The full list of cities can be found at 100resilientcities.rockefellerfoundation.org