Enhancing resilience in complex systems through transdisciplinary approaches to sustainable infrastructure and urban development

Abstract Urban resilience is a critical challenge amidst escalating risks of climate change, rapid urbanization, and systemic disruption, particularly in the Global South. This research seeks to fill a gap in the literature that often overlooks the institutional and relational mechanisms that generate adaptive capacity. Using an exploratory qualitative case study design, this research compares resilience dynamics in Shenzhen (high resilience), Bandung (medium resilience), and Dhaka (low resilience). Qualitative data analysis was conducted in NVivo 12 Plus using a systems-thinking framework and a transdisciplinary approach to map resilience patterns, sustainable infrastructure configurations, and governance mechanisms. Resilience operates as a systemic capacity driven by the integration of governance and transdisciplinary learning. Shenzhen demonstrates the capacity to 'bouncing forward' through an institutionalized knowledge-policy-technology nexus. Bandung exhibits fluid transdisciplinary collaboration that has not been consistently institutionalized, risking being trapped in partial improvements. In contrast, Dhaka demonstrates the reproduction of crises due to institutional fragmentation and the absence of systemic learning capacity. This research defines resilience not simply as the ability to survive, but as a process of systemic transformation, filling a gap in the literature by explaining the institutional and relational mechanisms that produce adaptive capacity. This study is urgent because cities in the Global South need adaptive, inclusive, and sustainable models of infrastructure development and governance.