Urban Heritage Resilience: An Integrated and Operationable Definition from the SHELTER and ARCH Projects

Resilience, initially a concept rooted in psychology, has traversed disciplinary boundaries, finding application in fields such as urban planning and development since the 2010s. Despite its broad application, most definitions remain too abstract to allow their practical integration into urban planning and development contexts. Addressing this challenge, the European research projects SHELTER and ARCH offer a practicable integration of resilience with planning and development practices surrounding urban heritage. Following a systemic approach to resilience, both projects integrate perspectives from urban development, climate change adaptation, disaster risk management, and heritage management, supported with tools and guidance to anchor resilience in existing practices. This paper presents the results from both projects, including similarities and differences.