The world's cities are more densely populated and connected than ever before. While this brings increasing social and economic benefits, it also brings increasing vulnerability – today's new normal requires governance models that mitigate risk and respond to changing challenges. Models of unchanging reactive and isolated decision-making will not yield the basic strength and flexibility necessary to thrive in the face of the acute shocks and chronic stresses of the 21st century. Acute shocks are sudden, intense events that threaten a community, such as earthquakes, hurricanes, and terrorist attacks. The impact of acute shocks is exacerbated by chronic stresses that weaken community fabric over time, such as recurrent flooding, high unemployment, limited social safety nets, and inequitable public transportation systems. It is rare for a city to experience only one type of challenge at a time. Instead, cities are confronted with a combination of acute shocks and chronic stresses.

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