Smart Cities, stronger futures
An email arrived on a quiet morning last spring, a simple request with weighty implications: Could I design a booklet on financing for resilience? My colleagues at the European Commission’s Smart Cities Marketplace were assembling a concise publication to help small and mid-sized cities across the EU navigate the complex world of funding.
The title—Aggregating Financing for Resilience—was direct, the mission clear. Still, the concept felt immense, layered, necessary.
Because resilience isn’t just a buzzword, not for the cities threading their way through economic instability, natural disasters, and the aftershocks of a global pandemic. For small and mid-sized cities, resilience is survival—an ability to absorb the impact of disruption and emerge not just intact but stronger. But resilience comes at a cost, and for many local governments, securing the funds to fortify infrastructure, invest in renewable energy, or prepare for the unexpected feels like an insurmountable challenge.
This booklet sets out to change that.
Rather than accepting that resilience-building efforts are always financially out of reach, Aggregating Financing for Resilience explores how municipalities can work together, tapping into private sector resources and innovative financial instruments to bridge the gap. It gathers case studies from Portugal, Denmark, and Sweden, offering real-world examples of cities leveraging energy performance contracts, community financing, and regional cooperation to fund the future. The solutions outlined here aren’t theoretical; they are accessible, replicable, actionable.
Simplicity was key in the design. The booklet needed to be clear and direct, a resource that could land on the desk of a city official and feel immediately useful. No clutter, no excess—just a thoughtfully structured guide to help municipal leaders understand that resilience financing is not a luxury but a necessity, and that viable options exist.
Walking through the final draft, I thought about the quiet ways cities prepare for the future—the policies that take shape long before the next storm, the infrastructure that holds firm under pressure, the investments that go unseen until they become vital. Resilience is a slow, steady effort, one that requires planning, foresight, and, above all, funding.
And so, the booklet is out in the world, a small but purposeful contribution to a broader conversation. A reminder that resilience isn’t just something to hope for—it’s something to build, piece by piece, city by city.
