A Ladder of Urban Resilience: Toward a Paradigm for Evolutionary Resilience to Support Communities Facing Chronic Crises

This paper explores the concept of urban resilience in the context of complex socio-technical ecosystems within cities. Its objective is to move beyond the functional schematization of capacities along successive implementation phases. Instead, it proposes an integrated framework for a comprehensive approach to urban resilience that considers the interaction between i) appropriate qualities based on the specific problem characteristics, ii) processes across different system domains forming a city, and iii) the involvement of agents in decision-making and action implementation. Through an analysis of the challenges posed by chronic crises and structural disorders, the article underscores the need for a paradigm shift in governance to support communities grappling with the impossibility of contradictory adaptation choices. This is essential to ascend the ladder of city resilience through adaptive strategies, inclusive decision-making, and the co-generation of innovation, including the application of information and communication technology for this purpose.