From Innovation to Adaptation: Rethinking Sustainability For Resilient Cities

As climate uncertainties persist alongside rapid technological growth, it is crucial to consider whether we are sustaining the future of innovation.

Sustainability is no longer solely about renewable energy sources, but rather resilience. Systems, cities, and companies need to be designed for adaptation. Resilience is necessary for future generations to thrive.

During the most recent edition of the VivaTech conference in Paris, impact and sustainability were key themes. This included a panel entitled “From the Ground Up: Building Resilient Cities.” In this discussion of the urgency to redesign urban spaces, Sacha Stolp, Director of Innovation at the Department of Engineering, City of Amsterdam, stated that behind every successful innovation lies the invisible power of trust. “Only with trust do people stop defending their territory,” he said.

Stolp shares that there are five necessary roles to creative resilient sustainability:

• Initiator: creates the idea and seeks change. 
• Inventor: designs the technical solution with a creative mind. 
• Builder: constructs the physical or digital product. 
• Legitimizer: approves of the product or determines how to make it acceptable.
• Mediator: ensures communication and builds trust. 

Once the individuals develop respect and understanding for everyone's responsibilities, innovation becomes a smooth process.

More than 50% of people live in cities. Emerging economies within urban centers face challenges 10x more severe than those in the Global North. This includes rapid population growth, heightening the risk of increased climate change. With air pollution, extreme weather, and disease growing, resilient cities are more than just a goal. They are a necessity.

The panelists shared the importance of nature-based solutions. Investing in nature means actively working to improve air quality, cooling urban heated land, protecting against floods, creating jobs, and promoting biodiversity. Stolp puts it simply as “Greener cities are happier.”

One example shared by Andrea Fernandez, Managing Director of Climate Finance and Partnerships for C40 Cities, was creating 30 green quarters in a city that has proven to reduce urban temperatures by 2 degrees Celsius. These projects are also a way to implement social innovation, as low-income residents can be invited to participate in planting and maintaining urban greenery. 

However, the one key question driving the transition is, “How do we change the rules within a city?”

The answer lies with bold ideas and brave people, those who are willing to challenge the system to strive for change. “Once people start believing in things, that’s the moment the people in the system start changing,” Stolp said. People living in cities can feel when green spaces are absent from their environment, he added.

Though technology has provided sustainable solutions that go beyond human capability, many beneficial steps do not require high-tech. Everyday solutions include: more walkable neighborhoods or resilient construction practices. Often, the value of renovation, refurbishing what already exists, is overlooked. Edward Bouygues, Director and Deputy Chief Executive Officer of Bouygues Telecom, said it is easy to assume that to create a sustainable environment, cities need to start anew. Though it is easier and faster to begin from scratch, renovation is the key element for long-term sustainability. Maintenance is not only innovation, it is the most vital contribution a city can make. “Sometimes the best innovation is the hardest to procure,” he said.

Innovation doesn’t always have to mean a new invention. Innovation includes “ingredient substitution,” which means finding more sustainable ways to enhance existing products. For example, Fernandez stated that reducing material use by just 10% can have massive environmental impacts. However, this only works if multiple companies are willing to collaborate.

This leads to the fundamental design of future-proofing. With climate change being so uncertain, it is important to consider longevity in every new product. Flexibility is necessary to adapt products to unforeseen changes.

Ultimately, this all ties back to the concept that communication is key to change. How can we create productive, positive conversations between policymakers, companies, and communities? Stolp said, “You are never too young to lead.” It is necessary to give a voice to the younger generations who will grow up with the products that previous generations leave behind. However, the panelists shared that companies should find solutions and tell everyone what to do, not the other way around.

Not only is sustainability a way to reduce environmental impacts, but also an opportunity for businesses and corporations to grow. It is evident that many companies hesitate to implement sustainability since there is no clear path ahead. It is difficult to see environmental effects from a short-term lens. When companies don’t see an immediate need for change, they don’t take that first step forward. 

AI as a Resource for Sustainability

During the panel "Designing for What’s Next: Sustainable and Resilient Materials at speed and scale” with Capgemini, panelists discussed the vision of sustainability as an opportunity. Capgemini creates the data and framework for companies to begin their first step. This guides companies as they begin to implement innovation tactics, allowing sustainability to feel less abstract. Before projects have even begun, companies are encouraged to lead their supporters and ask questions. It is important to ask: How will this product be used? What materials will sustain the product? How can we minimize waste? 

Companies such as Capgemini have included themselves in the conversation to increase the use of AI for enhanced solutions. However, just like a student, AI needs to be taught. These companies are here to feed AI with purpose and values to achieve proper goals. With the right guidance, AI can also be a support system for sustainability across many sectors.

One point mentioned by Gregory Mulholland, CEO of Citrine Informatics, is that our brains do not have the capacity to think of the whole picture. Resilience requires a broader view that can only be seen when a community is built. This is whether scaling plays a role. Learn who needs to be involved in the conversation to create the greatest amount of change. However, even with community, the human brain is unable to create solutions as extreme as AI. Now that we know the lengths AI can take to create a sustainable future, it would be immoral not to make those changes. “The best companies succeed with AI," Mulholland said.

Mouna Benazzou, MD, Engineering North Africa with Capgemini, said, “It’s about how to anticipate the right design and ask efficient questions.” The future of sustainable companies, communities, and infrastructure lies in the hands of individuals who are willing to come together and ask the right questions. Guiding people with knowledge and trust is necessary to create change. AI companies are here to assist in finding new sustainable practices that cannot be managed on our own. 

However, resilience is more than just surviving. It is about growing and adapting for a better future.