My most recent columns have provided specific details from the LEED program pilot resilience credits. These credits are for single buildings and are to be implemented as part of the design process. But, what about the bigger picture of societal resilience and how that ties into the decisions that must be made for individual buildings? The U.K. is in the process of finalizing a new national resilience strategy that was intended to be published in March 2022. The U.K. government is attempting to develop a strategy that not only identifies what the national government should do but defines local and broader guidelines for building designers and/or owners, as well as the general public.
The process of developing the national resilience strategy started with a “Call for Evidence,” where the government solicited input from the public regarding the direction and priorities for this new strategy. In addition to laying out the issues, responses to specific questions were requested. These questions were divided into six broad categories: risk and resilience, responsibilities and accountability, partnerships, community, investment, and resilience in an interconnected world. In addition, two questions considered the plan’s overall vision and principles. The results of the call for evidence are summarized in a publicly available report. Although the complete documents should be of interest to everyone, and reading the full reports is highly recommended, this column will focus on a few items that relate more directly to the design community.