First, there is great value in a systems approach as a heuristic for understanding interlocked social-ecological-technological processes, and in analysis across multiple scales. Yet we need to move beyond both systems as portrayed in resilience thinking, and the focus on actors in work on vulnerability, to analyse networks and relationships, as well as to attend to the diverse framings, narratives, imaginations and discourses that different actors bring to bear.

For More:

http://resilienturbanism.tumblr.com/post/7573475902/reframing-resilience

There are many definitions of resilience from simple deterministic views of resilience anchored in Newtonian mechanics to far more dynamic views of resilience from a systems perspective, including insights from quantum mechanics and the sciences of complexity.  One baseline perspective of resilience sees it in terms of the viability of socio-ecological systems as the foundation for sustainability.  For those that are ready to look beyond resilience as the ability to return to the "normal state" before a disaster, take a look at:

http://www.resalliance.org/

What does it take to become a smart city?  Why are mesh cities important to sustainability?

For more information:

<http://www.meshcities.com/>

Empowering Sustainability in San Francisco’s Neighborhoods

Using a Cloud Computing-based Distributed Smart Grid

There is a saying that trends are built in San Francisco, and when these innovations (born in the Bay Area and tested in California) hit New York, they are already beginning to fundamentally change the world we live in.

Overview

The San Francisco Bay Area has one of the largest concentrations of high technology companies and venture capital firms in the world.  As a result of its innovative cultures, history of strong earthquakes, and the recent economic downturn in California under conditions of rapid global change, the City of San Francisco is ratcheting up not only its emergency preparedness, but also its resilience and sustainability initiatives.  The goal is to create a new type of vibrant citizen-based leadership facing forward into the 21^st century that enables San Francisco neighborhoods and communities of interest to thrive under otherwise uncertain and challenging times.

How are you and your neighborhood doing in terms of your ecological Footprint?  There are many ways to calculate ecological footprint and many different tools that can be used.  Below is a mainstream assessment tool that will give you a quick sense of your ecological footprint and how to reduce it.  

http://www.myfootprint.org/

To know more about your environment in San Francisco, go to:

http://www.sfenvironment.org/our_programs/topics.html?ti=19

San Francisco has some of the healthiest neighborhoods in the nation according to U.S. health statistics.  What specifically makes San Francisco's neighborhoods healthy? What are their current challenges negatively impacting the health or San Franciscans?

How is your neighborhood doing?  What do you need to work on in your neighborhood to improve the health of your community?

Take a look:

http://www.healthmattersinsf.org/index.php