The concept of urban resilience is a source of engagement, creativity, and inspiration for everyone committed to improve our daily urban lives. But when concepts are not contextualized, and especially when “resilient programs” are brought to the forefront by local decision makers without in-depth analysis, other questions arise, most often linked to trade-offs political acceptability. […]

Should you search online the meaning of derelict places in urban environments, there is a fair chance to be directed towards brownfields, the way they may contribute to urban master plans (1) and how their potential translates in operational practicalities (2). No doubt that you will also be directed towards historical sites’ survival to disasters. Aesthetic and emotional […]

Since earliest times, maps have been a source of interest, not to say fascination. With the oldest one presumably dated 6000 BC until modern cartography, maps developed into a unique representation combining art, geography, and military power (1). But what is the true meaning of a map in a post-colonialist society imposing norms and habits which can […]

The past decades gave birth to an urban way of life dominated by uncertainty and complexity. Those who do not have the means to adapt to an ever-evolving socio-economic environment are more vulnerable. And it can be fairly assumed that the number of people who will face difficulties will grow: according to the United Nations (1), more […]

What is the meaning of urban morphologies and how resilient are they? What do cities and modern art have in common? How relevant is the concept of entropy? The three questions converge towards a universal representation of one of our contemporary urban drivers: the grid.  Sixty years ago, Kevin Lynch (1) introduced the concept of urban imageability and […]

You may like it or not, you cannot escape religious monuments and the way they impose their presence in the urban frame. They contribute to the city “imageability”, as defined by Kevin Lynch (1), and play a predominant role in its identity.  Their symbolic significance goes far beyond their original mission, as shown by the emotional response […]

The current pandemic sheds a new light on affordable housing and how it may strengthen urban resilience. The “stay home” injunction confronts with the political challenge to enforce moratorium on evictions and foreclosures. Adequate housing appears to be more than a standard of living with the raising awareness that it is a human right (1). But […]

Were immigrants arriving in Ellis Island resilient? They survived pogroms, misery or starvation. They had to pass through dreadful sanitary checks, could be quarantined and sent back home. Their living conditions were the worst possible we could think of. Though, this was heaven compared to where they were coming from. Could they imagine after nearly […]