Across the globe, residents, small businesses and local organizations are tackling extreme heat, flooding and other challenges together. While each community faces unique risks, sharing how they adapt and what we can learn from their efforts has never been more important.
Through the Resilience for Communities (R4C) program, Resilient Cities Network and partners help cities and communities understand risks, co-create solutions and share knowledge to accelerate impact.
In our previous session with R4C, we explored how Melaka and Greater Manchester are placing lived experience at the center of resilience planning through their Community Action Plans and neighborhood initiatives.Our ninth Cities on the Frontline session of 2025 now turns to the next step: transforming priorities into scalable projects through practical tools, shared knowledge and strong coalitions.
We go behind the scenes with practitioners who are translating community-driven planning into real impact.
- Chana Haouzi, Architecture for Public Benefit, guides us through the design of the Urban Cooling Infrastructure Toolkit with YouthBuild Boston that helps communities develop and scale cooling solutions.
- Ben Bryant, Interface Studio, discusses the Community Resilience Toolkit and other guidebooks that help cities turn local priorities into bottom-up resilience projects.
City leaders, local organizations and philanthropic partners are working together to empower communities to lead the change. Listen in to find out how.

Chana, Haouzi
Founder & Principal, Architecture for Public Benefit

Ben Bryant
Senior Associate, Interface Studio

Kelli Borden (Co-Host)
Head of Underwriting Quality & Governance, Zurich North America

Nathaniel Echeverria (Co-Host)
Head of City Engagement for North America, R-Cites

