Over at The Atlantic's CityLab website, Tanvi Misra writes on an initiative that uses data visualisation to develop a 'planet-spanning index of urban fragility'. The index is a collaboration between the Igarapé Institute in Brazil, Nations University, the World Economic Forum and 100 Resilient Cities.
Misra reports on the different phenomena that come into play when looking into the subject of urban fragility. She writes:
There are eleven factors that “undermine metropolitan capacity and legitimacy,” according to a global ranking devised by the creators of this new world map of 2,100 cities that have more 250,000 or more residents. Some have their hands full with local issues like crime, unemployment, and pollution; others are grappling with the consequences of war, unable to provide even the most basic services required for the safety and well-being of their residents. Still others face threats from climate change and weather-related disasters.
The Fragile Cities map was demonstrated during the Global Parliament of Mayors meeting in The Hague earlier this month, and can be found on the Fragile Cities website.