Are cities genuinely healthy? Diagnosis of urban development from the perspective of adaptive capacity

Abstract

As urban diseases continue to emerge with the acceleration of urbanization, the transformation of urban governance concepts and systems must be urgently promoted. In dealing with the complex systemic problem of city governance, the concept of adaptation in complex adaptative system (CAS) theory has shown obvious advantages. This approach provides a new perspective for solving this problem in the face of the unprecedented complexity of current disasters. However, research on urban adaptation is currently hindered by imprecise terminology, significant bias, and insufficient empirical evidence. This study reinterprets the concept of urban adaptation in conjunction with CAS theory. The formula for the functional expression of urban adaptation is derived using dissipative structure theory. Indicators are then selected to describe the system of urban adaptive capacity. An adaptive decision support framework is established that covers 29 quantitative and 8 qualitative indicators. The adaptive performance of 12 sample cities is analyzed. Finally, this study provides corresponding planning paths for optimizing urban adaptation based on the evaluation results. The research findings can assist city managers in comprehending the actual situation of cities and provide a basis for formulating targeted governance programs.