Like every year since 1985, the first Monday of October is World Habitat Day, a time to reflect on our habitats and the basic rights of all people to adequate housing. It is an opportunity for us to consider how where we live impacts our lives. The theme chosen for 2023 is resilient urban economies, which position cities as drivers of growth and recovery.

But what are resilient urban economies? What role do they play in access to housing?

Drawing on research in psychology and ecology, the UN-Habitat agency defines urban resilience as the ability of any urban system to maintain continuity through shocks and stresses, while positively contributing to adaptation and transformation. A resilient city is thus one able to absorb and analyze the myriad challenges it faces and, based on what it learns, develop strategies and take actions to respond to them. In a world exposed to continuous shocks, a resilient city will be more and better prepared to protect and improve people’s quality of life and drive progress.

Read the article (in Spanish)

Author:
Raluca Budian is a postdoctoral researcher at the Institute for Social Innovation in Esade and a member of the Dignified Housing Observatory.