Beyond Traditional Hierarchies: Co-Creation of Urban Resilience through Transdisciplinary Approaches : An exploratory case study of the city of Dresden

Abstract: Urbanization and the growth of populations in cities have led to increased exposure and vulnerability to social and environmental changes, such as natural disasters like floods and climate change uncertainties creating complex social dynamics. Cities as tourist destinations are especially susceptible to such disruptions, as their infrastructure and overall aesthetic contribute significantly to their value, ensuring employment opportunities and public well-being. Consequently, discussions have arisen about the need for cities and communities to adopt resilience thinking in order to prepare for potential stresses and shocks. Although there are established frameworks for creating inclusive resilience strategies that encourage community engagement and participation, limited literature exists on how integrated urban resilience thinking is in transdisciplinary efforts for sustainable urban development. Therefore, this paper explores how participation is integrated in resilience building efforts in urban areas studying the case of Dresden, Germany. It starts with a description of the underlying concepts, followed by a classification of the investigation case laying out the legal and political framework focusing on the concepts of participation, and co-creation in the context of participatory urban resilience. The study further investigates how citizen participation is discussed and implemented in this field by analyzing nine expert interviews. The findings suggest that participatory approaches hold significant potential for improving multistakeholder cooperation, promoting social innovation, and building resilience capacities. However, several systemic challenges are uncovered which would require structural reforms to enable a resilient urban development for Dresden as a destination and its citizens.