In an era marked by geopolitical instability, pandemics, and economic crises, the need for resilience has never been greater. And while national resilience grabs the headlines, it is at community level where the greatest and most sustainable change is badly needed.
A New Statesman article asks what defines a resilient community and how does it thrive in the face of challenges?
Professor Katharine Willis, Professor of Smart Cities and Communities at the University of Plymouth depicts it as one that uses its unique cultural features to build capacity, foster cooperation and adapt to change.
It draws strength from its cohesion, diversity and social capital built on past experiences, and ideally does so against a backdrop of social equity. Equally, government bodies need to accept and acknowledge unique regional characteristics, strengths, and challenges and design effective policies addressing community needs that are responsive, inclusive and equitable.
We have heard time and again the commitment to 'level up' and redress the historic regional inequalities that have left communities facing social exclusion and poor outcomes in terms of health, economic power, income, life expectancy, and educational attainment. Yet, while addressing these disparities has been deemed a national priority, interventions so far have had mixed results. Professor Willis explains:
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