Urban Exchange Podcast Episode 21 - 10 years of urban resilience in Rotterdam

This episode of the Urban Exchange podcast takes a look back at Rotterdam’s resilience journey over the past decade. Host Paul Wilson speaks with Arnoud Molenaar, Rotterdam’s Chief Resilience Officer, who was one of the first city CROs to be appointed in 2014.

Molenaar discusses how Rotterdam first addressed resilience through climate adaptation efforts due to its location near water. We discover how the city developed two resilience strategies focused on issues like water management, social challenges, and pandemic preparedness, as Molenaar takes us through notable projects like the city’s "water squares" and the "Resilient BoTu District 2028" initiative.

We also delve into Molenaar’s vision for resilience to be fully embedded in all of Rotterdam’s operations and governance by 2034, uncovering valuable insights for other cities on Rotterdam’s pioneering resilience journey over the last decade as one of the early adopters of the Chief Resilience Officer model.