Definition-Resilience:
The capacity to recover quickly from difficulties; toughness.
“Disruption is the new normal. Now, more than ever, you cannot lock down the future.”
Jonathan Fields, Uncertainty: Turning Fear and Doubt into Fuel for Brilliance (2011)
The future is always to some extent uncertain, but never more so than now.
During periods of uncertainty, the capacity to find improved ways of working, progressing and being resilient is vital.
The word resilience has historically been used in the context of emergency preparedness and security, but increasingly it is a word being used across business sectors. With several external factors driving seismic shifts across many parts of society, from Brexit to Climate Change, how can we make ourselves – and our communities and cities – more resilient in times of change?
While uncertainty and change may be feared, there is also great opportunity. Innovation and enhancement can often spring from uncertainty, instability and pressure.
And as we strive to overcome difficulties and find better solutions within our societies, what is the role for Design?
CallisonRTKL is a design practice that creatively and pragmatically solves problems – we are proud to be builders of communities, figuratively and physically – and we understand that people don’t simply live, work, and play in buildings. They truly live and thrive in communities and environments that respond effectively to external factors and changing lifestyle demands. .
We have identified six areas where a new approach to ‘resilience’ is required in order to future-proof important aspects of society, and crucially, how we design our environments and lifestyles.
– Economy
– Community
– Retail
– Climate
– Mobility
– Resources
With fresh and innovative thinking, and a collaborative spirit, we must marshal resources and decide upon a strategy for the future, which may or may not require new approaches.
Read on to learn CallisonRTKL’s take on these challenges and opportunities.
