The 100 Resilient Cities (100RC) initiative is helping cities around the world to develop and deliver city resilience strategies. As part of AECOM’s global partnership with 100RC, and following our work in developing key resilience strategies across Asia Pacific, we worked with the City of Sydney to create the Sydney Resilience Strategy. Launched in July 2018, this strategy resulted from two years of effort, comprising technical studies and a comprehensive engagement process with more than 1,000 people from business, government and local communities.

Resilient Sydney set global benchmarks for integrating resilience and disaster preparedness into city planning and investment across the 100RC network, with recognition for an exceptional level of metropolitan-wide collaboration and engagement. Positive feedback from stakeholders focused on: an improved understanding of resilience; increased understanding of the role of businesses and asset/infrastructure owners and operators in contributing to city-wide resilience; and, inclusivity and diversity in collaboration and engagement.

The strategy presents a five-year plan with five directions and ‘flagship actions’, including the Western Sydney ‘Turn Down The Heat’ urban heat strategy authored by AECOM. AECOM is supporting the implementation of the ‘Sydney Resilience Commitment’, which calls for 100 organisations across Sydney to commit to making adaptive, integrated planning and action central to their governance for managing disruptions. We are working with Kyoto, Chicago, and Oahu to launch their strategies this year, joining Bangkok, Christchurch, Wellington and Melbourne in implementing city-wide resilience actions.


“The Resilient Sydney Strategy is an exceptional example of metropolitan-scale collaboration” — Lauren Sorkin, Regional Director, Asia Pacific, 100 Resilient Cities