Background: Climate change is increasingly impacting urban environments, posing significant risks to public health, infrastructure, and social equity. Urban areas, due to their population density, complex systems, and vulnerability to heat island effects, are at the front line of these challenges. In response, this study proposes an urban resilience indicator framework that integrates the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) with International Organization for Standardization (ISO) 37123: indicators for resilient cities, aiming to guide local governments in enhancing resilience under climate stress.
Methods: This study adopts literature analysis and the Fuzzy Delphi Method (FDM) to construct an urban resilience indicator framework. Drawing from SDG 11 (sustainable cities and communities), SDG 13 (climate action), SDG 3 (good health and well-being), and SDG 16 (peace, justice, and strong institutions), the research maps relevant indicators from ISO 37123 to initially develop three key dimensions—environmental, social, and governance (ESG)—comprising 12 primary indicators and 36 sub-indicators. Subsequently, the study engaged nine experts from the fields of urban planning, disaster governance, and public health. Through a questionnaire survey, the Fuzzy Consensus Value (FCV) was calculated to identify indicators that reflect both expert consensus and policy relevance.
Results: The Fuzzy Delphi results show that experts ultimately selected 19 sub-indicators. The strongest agreement centers on climate risk management (e.g., climate-disaster monitoring platforms), post-disaster health response capacity (e.g., 24-hour access to medical resources and efficiency of integrated emergency medical systems), and public safety and social stability (e.g., efficiency and coverage of warning systems). Experts emphasize that urban resilience should go beyond engineering and physical infrastructure, integrating health systems and governance mechanisms to safeguard personal security and community stability under climate risks. The framework was preliminarily applied to Taipei’s West District Gateway Project by mapping the ESG resilience indicators to the project’s policies and objectives to assess planning and governance applicability. Environmentally, rainwater detention, permeable pavements, and green infrastructure reduce runoff and heat risks, supported by smart-city monitoring. Socially, proximity to National Taiwan University Hospital improves medical accessibility, while city-wide programs and renewal enhance community resilience. Governance-wise, public participation, resilience budgeting, and open data strengthen transparency and collaboration. Overall, 15 of the 19 indicators are applicable, indicating strong policy alignment and adaptive capacity.
Conclusions: This study contributes to the evolving discourse on planetary health by offering a structured tool for cities to adapt to climate change while promoting health and sustainability.
