What can 100 cities teach us about the future of this vulnerable world?

Since the launch of the 100 Resilient Cities initiative, writes Rockefeller Foundation president Judith Rodin, we have been inspired - and daunted - by our member cities' willingness to confront the many challenges ahead

As we move deeper into the 21st century, the stresses and shocks come faster and faster. They're hitting hard in all parts of the world, and cities are bearing the brunt because that's where the largest segments of our populations live.

While a huge amount of effort has been focused - with good reason - on climate-related shocks, our 100 Resilient Cities initiative continues to highlight and address so many other challenges that are equally powerful, equally destructive. Social unrest, economic shocks, disease outbreaks, cyber terrorism, other kinds of terrorism, earthquakes, infrastructure failures ... they're all part of the daily news cycle somewhere in the world.