Geopolitical Instability and Urban Resilience: Architectural and Planning Responses to Global Uncertainty

Geopolitical instability—driven by conflict, climate disruptions, and resource scarcity—exacerbates urban vulnerabilities, necessitating redefined architectural and urban planning responses. This study conceptualizes urban resilience not as mere recovery but as proactive adaptation and transformation toward sustainability, emphasizing anticipation, equity, and systemic flexibility. Geopolitical forces intensify pre-existing socio-economic inequalities (e.g., displacement, informal settlements), demanding integrated strategies that address physical, social, economic, environmental, and institutional dimensions of resilience. Traditional top-down planning models, critiqued for rigidity and marginalizing community input, prove inadequate amid uncertainty. Emerging frameworks—adaptive peacebuilding, systems thinking, and geopolitical urbanism—prioritize process-oriented, context-sensitive approaches. However, fragmented governance and sectoral silos hinder multi-scalar integration. Technology (AI, GIS, parametric modeling) bridges theory-practice gaps by enabling data-driven forecasting and participatory scenario testing. Ethically, resilience planning must balance public interests with vulnerable populations’ rights, confronting gentrification, displacement, and exclusion. Post-conflict reconstruction faces dilemmas between preserving cultural memory (tabula rasa critiques) and enabling transformative justice. Participatory governance and accountability mechanisms are imperative to ensure equitable outcomes. Aesthetically, design transcends functionality: biophilic elements, contextual materials, and culturally sensitive forms enhance well-being, identity, and healing. "Aesthetic fragility" leverages local knowledge for adaptable, meaningful spaces, particularly in MENA, where Islamic principles inform equitable urban development. Key recommendations include adopting holistic "all-hazards" approaches, prioritizing justice through inclusive participation, leveraging technology for transparency, and integrating indigenous aesthetics. Future research must model cascading geopolitical risks, quantify equity in resilience, and explore AI-enhanced community engagement.

کلیدواژه ها:

Urban Resilience ، Geopolitical Instability ، Adaptive Planning ، Spatial Justice ، Resilient Aesthetics