An Integrated Approach Toward Smart and Resilient Cities

The twenty-first century is deemed as the century of cities. The rapid and haphazard development of cities worldwide has, however, been faced with unprecedented challenges, ranging from typical concerns like population conges­tion and pollution to new and emerging risks like pandemics to cyberattacks. In the backdrop of these widespread contemporary challenges, the evolving notions of “smart city” and “resilient city” are now being widely recognized as policy­level pathways for enhancing the quality of life and sustaining urban livelihoods. Although both the visions have considerable overlaps between their meanings and relationships, their ground-level implementation continues to be done in a discrete manner. Recognizing the need for an integrated approach toward smart and resilient cities, this chapter discusses five good practices of smart city developments from around the world (Guwahati, India; Kathmandu, Nepal; Beijing, China; Surabaya, Indonesia; Takamatsu, Japan), wherein the notion of resilience has been effectively integrated. It is hoped that the lessons derived through these existing cases will provide a broader understanding to researchers worldwide, while also paving the way for policy-level deliberations to realize integrated smart and resilient city development.