Urban Resilience refers to the capacity of an urban system — together with its residents — to maintain continuity of function during shocks and stresses, while simultaneously adapting and transforming toward sustainable development.
For Ukrainian cities, this principle is of primary importance in wartime resilience. But not exclusively: the challenges of global climate change are equally relevant in our country. The anomalous rainfall in Odesa in 2025, which destroyed infrastructure and claimed 9 lives, is a striking example of the fact that threats take many forms — and cities must be prepared for all of them.
The core principle of Urban Resilience is the importance of a preventive approach. Effective prevention and early risk assessment cost cities far less than emergency response and subsequent recovery.
A telling example is the city of Zhytomyr, where energy-efficiency projects for heat and water supply systems were developed over the course of a decade, and a thermal power station running on alternative fuel was constructed. It is precisely this kind of comprehensive approach that builds long-term energy resilience for a community and enables flexible risk management in the face of Russia's persistent attacks on Ukraine's energy infrastructure.
In our view, Urban Resilience is not solely the concern of government authorities and representatives of various institutions. Engaged residents also sustain it: those who ask questions, cultivate good-neighbourly relations, and are ready to act collectively in a critical moment.
Anastasiia adds: "The community level is an effective scale for strengthening resilience. Residents have a better understanding of the local context and feel a direct connection to the safety of their home. The closer a person lives to potential risks, the greater their motivation to counter them."
Restart plans to focus its efforts on Urban Resilience. Our team conducts research, organises thematic events, and collects the experiences of hromadas from across Ukraine.
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