Enhancing Sustainability and Resilience Against Natural Hazard of the Built Environment—State of the Art and Development of a Novel Framework

As climate change poses increasing challenges, it is vital to create climate-resilient cities and promote sustainable practices for responsible resource management. This paper aims to develop integrative methodologies combining resilience and sustainability assessments for built systems, both new and existing. It classifies published research by the frameworks used for these assessments and identifies gaps in understanding specific aspects of sustainability and resilience, as well as their interdependencies. The analysis highlights that current methodologies lack comprehensive integrated assessments; they often rely on structural verifications according to design codes and predominantly assess losses from shock events without considering broader social impacts throughout the life cycle. Furthermore, existing approaches generally focus on repair after events, neglecting the evolutionary performance of built systems—whether through upgrades, like refurbishments, or downgrades due to factors such as corrosion. To address these gaps, the paper proposes a novel two-step framework for assessment. The initial assessment phase aims to identify optimal design solutions, while the final assessment phase incorporates dynamic analyses to evaluate the performance changes of systems over time. This approach will help determine the best times to implement proactive measures, ultimately reducing the risks of unforeseen losses resulting from natural hazards and enhancing the structural resilience and sustainability of the built environment.