AccScience Publishing / JCAU / Online First / DOI: 10.36922/jcau.8088
REVIEW ARTICLE

Urban resilience analysis in civil engineering: A systematic review

Letícia Da Silva Souza Lima1† Daiane Maria De Genaro Chiroli2* Fernanda Cavicchioli Zola3†
Show Less
1 Department of Civil Engineering, Federal Technological University of Paraná, Apucarana, Paraná, Brazil
2 Department of Textile Engineering, Federal Technological University of Paraná, Apucarana, Paraná, Brazil
3 Department of Humanities, Federal Technological University of Paraná, Apucarana, Paraná, Brazil
Journal of Chinese Architecture and Urbanism, 8088 https://doi.org/10.36922/jcau.8088
Submitted: 20 December 2024 | Revised: 13 February 2025 | Accepted: 24 February 2025 | Published: 13 March 2025
© 2025 by the Author(s). This article is an open access article distributed under the terms and conditions of the Creative Commons Attribution -Noncommercial 4.0 International License (CC-by the license) ( https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/ )
Abstract

Urban resilience is fundamental for cities to adapt and recover from challenges such as climate change, natural disasters, and rapid urbanization. This study conducts a systematic review to examine the intersection between urban resilience and civil engineering, applying the PRISMA methodology to analyze recent contributions to the field. The research focuses on studies published between 2014 and 2024, targeting four key areas of civil engineering: water resources, underground structures, transportation, and electricity systems. To assess urban infrastructure strategies and identify gaps in the literature, the study employs ISO 37,123 resilience indicators. The results reveal that while 31.2% of the analyzed studies address resilient infrastructure, significant gaps persist in specific fields, particularly underground constructions and electricity systems. These areas are critical for urban functionality during disasters but remain underexplored in the existing body of research. The findings underscore the need for multidisciplinary approaches and investments in innovative technologies to address these deficiencies. Furthermore, the integration of nature-based solutions, such as green infrastructure, emerges as an essential strategy for enhancing urban resilience. This review also identifies geographical disparities in research representation, with regions such as South America and Africa being underrepresented. In contrast, China stands out for advancements in renewable energy and sustainable urban planning, despite facing significant environmental challenges. The study emphasizes the importance of aligning resilience strategies with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), particularly SDG 11 (sustainable cities and communities) and SDG 13 (climate action). By providing actionable insights for urban planners, policymakers, and civil engineers, this study contributes to the advancement of resilient and sustainable infrastructure. It advocates for the adoption of ISO 37123 as a framework for evaluating and improving urban resilience, fostering inclusive and efficient strategies to address the complex challenges of urbanization.

Keywords
Urban resilience
Smart cities
Sustainability
Urban planning
ISO 37123
Funding
None.
Conflict of interest
The authors declare that they have no competing interests.
References

Adamson, S., & Medeiros, A. S. (2023). The greenlight for government buildings: Strategies for a low-carbon building portfolio. FACETS, 8:1-10. https://doi.org/10.1139/facets-2022-0193

 

Almusaed, A., Almssad, A., Alasadi, A., Yitmen, I., & Al-Samaraee, S. (2023). Assessing the role and efficiency of thermal insulation by the “bio-green panel” in enhancing sustainability in a built environment. Sustainability, 15(13):10418. https://doi.org/10.3390/su151310418

 

Araszkiewicz, K. (2016). Green BIM concept-Scandinavian inspirations. Archives of Civil Engineering, 62(1):1-15. https://doi.org/10.1515/ace-2015-0054

 

Balsells, M., Barroca, B., Becue, V., & Serre, D. (2015). Making urban flood resilience more operational: Current practice. Proceedings of the Institution of Civil Engineers-Water Management, 168(1):57-65. https://doi.org/10.1680/wama.14.00051

 

Beyer, L., & Anderson, J. (2020). Planejamento Integrado de Soluções Baseadas na Natureza é Essencial para Resiliência Urbana. Brazil: WRI Brasil.

 

Borie, M., Ziervogel, G., Taylor, F. E., Millington, J. D., Sitas, R., & Pelling, M. (2019). Mapping (for) resilience across city scales: An opportunity to open-up conversations for more inclusive resilience policy? Environmental Science Policy, 99:1-9. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.envsci.2019.05.014

 

Chen, C., Xu, L., Zhao, D., Xu, T., & Lei, P. (2020). A new model for describing the urban resilience considering adaptability, resistance and recovery. Safety Science, 128:104756. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ssci.2020.104756

 

Comert, G., Pollard, J., Nicol, D. M., Palani, K., & Vignesh, B. (2018). Modeling cyberattacks at intelligent traffic signals. Transportation Research Record, 2672(1):76-89. https://doi.org/10.1177/0361198118784378

 

Cui, X., Wang, X., & Feng, Y. (2019). Examining urban metabolism: A material flow perspective on cities and their sustainability. Journal of Cleaner Production, 214:767-781. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jclepro.2019.01.021

 

Da Silva, C. A., dos Santos, E. A., Maier, S. M., & da Rosa, F. S. (2020). Urban resilience and sustainable development policies: An analysis of smart cities in the state of São Paulo. Revista de Gestão, 27(1):61-78. https://doi.org/10.1108/REGE-12-2018-0117

 

Datola, G., Bottero, M., & de Angelis, E. (2021). Enhancing urban resilience capacities: An analytic network process-based application. Environmental and Climate Technologies, 25(1):1270-1283. https://doi.org/10.2478/rtuect-2021-0096

 

De Genaro Chiroli, D. M., Menezes, M. G., Zola, F. C., Aragão, F. V., de Almeida, R. D., & Tebcherani, S. M. (2023). Integrating resilience and sustainability: A systematic analysis of resilient cities using ISO 37123. International Journal of Disaster Risk Reduction, 96:103960. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijdrr.2023.103960

 

De Mello, F. L. B. (2022). Regulação e Planejamento Urbano-ambiental em Processos de Suburbanização: O Caso do Projeto CSul Lagoa dos Ingleses. RMBH.

 

Elgendawy, A., Davies, P., & Chang, H. C. (2020). Planning for cooler cities: A plan quality evaluation for urban heat island consideration. Journal of Environmental Policy and Planning, 22(4):531-553. https://doi.org/10.1080/1523908X.2020.1781605

 

Elnour, M., Fadli, F., Himeur, Y., Petri, I., Rezgui, Y., Meskin, N., et al. (2022). Performance and energy optimization of building automation and management systems: Towards smart sustainable carbon-neutral sports facilities. Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, 162:112401. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.rser.2022.112401

 

Fastiggi, M., Meerow, S., & Miller, T. R. (2021). Governing urban resilience: Organisational structures and coordination strategies in 20 North american city governments. Urban Studies, 58(6):1262-1285. https://doi.org/10.1177/0042098020907277

 

Fiais , B. B., & de Souza, D. S. (2017). Sustainable construction with ecological bricks (Construção sustentável com tijolo ecológico). Journal Engineering in Action UniToledo (Revista Engenharia em Ação UniToledo), 2(1):94-108.

 

Fonseca, J. A., Estévez-Mauriz, L., Forgaci, C., & Björling, N. (2017). Spatial heterogeneity for environmental performance and resilient behavior in energy and transportation systems. Computers, Environment and Urban Systems, 62:136-145. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.compenvurbsys.2016.11.001

 

Ge, W., & Zhang, G. (2022). Resilient public transport construction in mega cities from the perspective of ecological environment governance. Journal of Environmental and Public Health, 2022:9143618. https://doi.org/10.1155/2022/9143618

 

Hardy, C., de Rivera, C., Bliss-Ketchum, L., Butler, E. P., Dissanayake, S., Horn, D. A., et al. (2022). Ecosystem connectivity for livable cities: A connectivity benefits framework for urban planning. Ecology and Society, 27:36. https://doi.org/10.5751/ES-13371-270236

 

Keeler, M., & Vaidya, P. (2018). Fundamentos de Projeto de Edificações Sustentáveis. 2ª ed. Rio Grande do Sul: Bookman Editora.

 

Lee, H., Song, K., Kim, G., & Chon, J. (2021). Flood-adaptive green infrastructure planning for urban resilience. Landscape and Ecological Engineering, 17:427-437. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11355-021-00458-7

 

Lee, Y. H., Kim, Y. C., & Seo, H. (2022). Selecting disaster waste transportation routes to reduce overlapping of transportation routes after floods. Sustainability, 14(5):2866. https://doi.org/10.3390/su14052866

 

Leoncini, R., Montresor, S., & Rentocchini, F. (2016). CO2- reducing innovations and outsourcing: Evidence from photovoltaics and green construction in North-East italy. Research Policy, 45(8):1649-1659. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.respol.2016.04.010

 

Liu, S. C., Peng, F. L., Qiao, Y. K., & Zhang, J. B. (2021) Evaluating disaster prevention benefits of underground space from the perspective of urban resilience. International Journal of Disaster Risk Reduction, 58:102206. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijdrr.2021.102206

 

Lu, W., Tam, V. W., Chen, H., & Du, L. (2020). A holistic review of research on carbon emissions of green building construction industry. Engineering, Construction and Architectural Management, 27(5):1065-1092. https://doi.org/10.1108/ECAM-06-2019-0283

 

Majewska, A., Denis, M., Jarecka-Bidzińska, E., Jaroszewicz, J., & Krupowicz, W. (2022). Pandemic resilient cities: Possibilities of repairing Polish towns and cities during COVID-19 pandemic. Land Use Policy, 113:105904. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.landusepol.2021.105904

 

Mariano, C., & Marino, M. (2022). Urban planning for climate change: A toolkit of actions for an integrated strategy of adaptation to heavy rains, river floods, and sea level rise. Urban Science, 6(3):35. https://doi.org/10.3390/urbansci6030063

 

McGrail, S., Gaziulusoy, A. I., & Twomey, P. (2015). Framing processes in the envisioning of low-carbon, resilient cities: Results from two visioning exercises. Sustainability, 7(7):8649-8683. https://doi.org/10.3390/su7078649

 

Nelson, P. P. (2016). A framework for the future of urban underground engineering. Tunnelling and Underground Space Technology, 55:32-39. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tust.2015.10.023

 

Ossola, A., & Lin, B. B. (2021). Making nature-based solutions climate-ready for the 50 °C world. Environmental Science Policy, 123:151-159. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.envsci.2021.05.026

 

Qiu, D., Lv, B., & Chan, C. M. (2022). How digital platforms enhance urban resilience. Sustainability, 14(3):1285. https://doi.org/10.3390/su14031285

 

Sá, O. O. (2017). A Segurança das Infraestruturas Críticas de Energia no Brasil. PhD thesis, Universidade de São Paulo.

 

Sharifi, A., Allam, Z., Bibri, S. E., & Khavarian-Garmsir, A. R. (2024). Smart cities and sustainable development goals (SDGs): A systematic literature review of co-benefits and trade-offs. Cities, 146:104659. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cities.2023.104659

 

Sharma, S., Kumar, S., & Singh, A. (2023). Assessment of green infrastructure for sustainable urban water management. Environment, Development and Sustainability, 25(1):1-10. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10668-023-03411-w

 

Sun, Y., Wang, Y., Zhou, X., & Chen, W. (2023). Are shrinking populations stifling urban resilience? Evidence from 111 resource-based cities in China. Cities, 141:104458. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cities.2023.104458

 

Touili, N. (2021). Hazards, infrastructure networks and unspecific resilience. Sustainability, 13(9):4972. https://doi.org/10.3390/su13094972

 

Wang, L., Xue, X., & Zhou, X. (2020). A new approach for measuring the resilience of transport infrastructure networks. Complexity, 2020(1):7952309. https://doi.org/10.1155/2020/7952309

 

Wu, Q., Han, Z., Cui, C., Liu, F., Zhao, Y., & Xie, Z. (2022). Vulnerability identification and cascading failure spatiotemporal patterns on road network under the rainstorm disaster. ISPRS International Journal of Geo- Information, 11(11):564. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijgi11110564

 

Xiang, C., Liu, J., Shao, W., Mei, C., & Zhou, J. (2019) Sponge city construction in china: Policy and implementation experiences. Water Policy, 21(1):19-37. https://doi.org/10.2166/wp.2018.021

 

Zahoor, A., Xu, T., Wang, M., Dawood, M., Afrane, S., Li, Y., et al. (2023). Natural and artificial green infrastructure (GI) for sustainable resilient cities: A scientometric analysis. Environmental Impact Assessment Review, 101:107139. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.eiar.2023.107139

 

Zhang, J., & Wang, T. (2023). Urban resilience under the COVID-19 pandemic: A quantitative assessment framework based on system dynamics. Cities, 136:104265. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cities.2023.104265

 

Zhang, J., Zhang, M., & Li, G. (2021). Multi-stage composition of urban resilience and the influence of pre-disaster urban functionality on urban resilience. Natural Hazards, 107:447-473. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11069-021-04590-3

 

Zhao, R., Fang, C., Liu, J., & Zhang, L. (2022). The evaluation and obstacle analysis of urban resilience from the multidimensional perspective in Chinese cities. Sustainable Cities and Society, 86:104160. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scs.2022.104160

 

Zhao, X., Chang, T., Hwang, B. G., & Deng, X. (2017). Critical factors influencing business model innovation for sustainable buildings. Sustainability, 10(1):33. https://doi.org/10.3390/su10010033

Share
Back to top
Journal of Chinese Architecture and Urbanism, Electronic ISSN: 2717-5626 Published by AccScience Publishing