CURE

CENTER FOR URBAN AND REGIONAL RESILIENCE RESEARCH (CURE)

 

Contact
Department of Urban and Regional Planning
Faculty of Engineering – Universitas Diponegoro
Jl. Prof. Soedarto, Tembalang, Semarang, Indonesia

Management
Chairman : Prof. Dr. -Ing. Wiwandari Handayani, ST, MT, MPS
Secretary : Rukuh Setiadi, ST, MEM. Ph.D

CURE Background, History, Vision and Scope

Background

Cities and regions develop rapidly, and they are likely to be concentrated at specific growth centers. Cities with strategic locations grow even beyond their administrative areas, while many other regions are likely to become stagnant or even lagging.

Globally, there are 34 cities in the world with a population of more than 10 million people, and 22 of them are located on the Asian continent. In Indonesia, Java Island accounts for just over 7% of the Indonesian land area and is inhabited by approximately 60% of the total population. The unbalanced development of cities and regions creates various disturbances, both in the form of shocks (when it regards as a sudden event) and stresses (when they take place almost regularly). The impact of climate change is inevitable because of various development activities that are increasingly challenging to be managed

History

Urban and regional resilience can be understood as an effort to increase the region’s ability to adapt to various shocks and pressures that occur physically, socially, and economically. This concept hopes that various urban and regions have strategies to deal with problems, both from social, economic, and environmental problems. CURE’s active role in scientific development to encourage the creation of regional and urban resilience began in 2009 through involvement in the Asian Cities Climate Change Resilience Network (ACCCRN) Program. A city resilience document for climate change adaptation has been successfully formulated from the program with several adaptation actions in Semarang City.

The issue of regional and urban resilience has been addressed in various discussion forums, programs, and activities. However, various things that have been done still need to be improved, considering the issue of regional and city resilience needs to be discussed and carried out inclusively by involving the participation of all stakeholders. CURE as one of the study centers under the Faculty of Engineering – Universitas Diponegoro was established through the Decree of the Dean of the Faculty of Engineering in 2017 to contribute to scientific development and policy practice to encourage the creation of regional and urban resilience. From experience related to the issue of regional and urban resilience, it then inspired the team of the Center for Urban and Regional Resilience Research (CURE) to be moved to carry out several types of research such as: 1) Climate Change Adaptation and Disaster Mitigation, 2) Disaster Risk Management and Urbanization, and 3) Disaster Risk Management in the Spatial Context and Increasing Resilience.

Vision

In line with the vision and mission of Universitas Diponegoro, the Center of Urban and Regional Resilience (CURE) is committed to supporting the University to become an excellent research university, especially in urban and regional resilience.

Scope

The scope of the studies, mentoring, and advocacy activities that Center of Urban and Regional Resilience carries out consider four main elements:
1. Resilience as a multi-sectoral issue,
2. Various urban and regional disturbances that are closely related to the disaster aspect,
3. Adaptations related to climate change impacts, and
4. The importance of accommodating the principles of sustainability

Research Roadmap

The track record of activities that have been carried out refers to the Center for Urban and Regional Resilience Research (CURE) research roadmap.
Through understanding the conditions of disturbance (shock and stress) in regions and cities, the CURE Research roadmap is divided into two approaches, namely policy (Policy Based Approach) and technocratic (Technoratic Based Approach), to realize urban and regional resilience. Policy based approach includes risk and vulnerability assessment, resilience strategy, and performance measurement/index. Meanwhile, the technocratic-based approach is viewed from the geographical boundary, typology framework, and thematic sector related to climate change and disaster adaptation.

 

Research Cooperation and Research Products

Since 2017, CURE has continued to encourage regional and city resilience through its involvement in several research collaborations and development projects with various parties, including local governments, educational institutions, NGOs, donor agencies, and other private parties at national and international levels. Some of these research collaborations are as follows:

1. Mobility Resilience (2017-2019) – related to public transportation and the improvement of the Trans Semarang BRT (Bus Rapid Transit) System in Semarang City. This project collaborated with IKUPI, Semarang City Government, Toyama City Government, Japanese Ministry of Environment, 100RC, IGES and ITDP.

2. Resilience Assessment (2017-2020) – related to the development of the City Resilience Index in collaboration with 100RC, ARUP, Semarang City Government, and IUCCE, which can be used as a tool for planning and decision making, and the Urban Community Resilience Assessment (UCRA) in collaboration with WRI, Cities Alliance, and IKUPI. This project aims to measure how communities and individuals respond to potential climate risks can help identify resilience needs and inform effective urban resilience planning.

 

3. Water Resilience – Water as Leverage (2018-2020) which aims to develop innovative, bankable, and applicable design proposals to address water-related problems in Semarang City. The objective of developing the conceptual design will be to utilize water for urban climate resilience. This project collaborated with Fabrications, Witteveen + Bos, IDN Liveable Cities, Deltares, Kota Kita Foundation, Unisula, and the Climate Change Cities Initiative (IKUPI).

 

4. Resilience Tools Development (2019). CURE involved in the Workshop of Archipelago City – Scenarios for Urban Pathways in Java related to developing tools to project conditions in Java and producing new approaches to urbanization and large-scale territorial transformation in Asia. This activity was in collaboration with Future Cities Laboratory Singapore.

 

5. Policy Advocacy (2019) which is related to the assistance of the City of Semarang in the preparation of the Regional Action Plan for Climate Change Adaptation (RAD-API) to increase community resilience and have a city development system that is increasingly adaptive to climate change. This project was in collaboration with the Semarang City Government and IKUPI.

 

6. Waste Management (2020-2021). One of the projects related to waste management is the Circularity Assessment Protocol (CAP) which aims to measure and characterize how consumer plastic flows into society. This project was in collaboration with the Circularity Informatics Lab – University of Georgia.

 

 

7. Knowledge Sharing (2021). CURE involved in the preparation dan publish books entitled “Urban Resilience: Concepts, Practices, Instruments, and Governance” in collaboration with IKUPI and IAP Central Java. This book describes concepts and practices that can support urban planning and accommodate climate change issues to achieve urban resilience.

 

 

Several achievements in terms of scientific publications have also been made by Center for Urban and Regional Resilience Research (CURE) researchers in the form of scientific articles presented through international seminars or published in reputable international journals.

Researcher Expertise Profile

Resilience is a multi-sectoral issue, Center for Urban and Regional Resilience Research involves experts from various fields of expertise, especially at the Faculty of Engineering, Diponegoro University.

Way Forward

The role of the university is essential, especially concerning scientific development because the issue of resilience is a new science that requires deepening from across scientific fields. Academics have addressed the issue of urban and regional resilience through various programs and activities. To create a world-class research center, several efforts have been made by the Center for Urban and Regional Resilience Research (CURE), including:
• Maintain collaboration and develop research with partners at national and international levels to strengthen the institutions of the Center for Regional and City Resilience Studies
• Provide assistance so that climate-resilient city initiatives can be internalized
• Continuing and developing cooperation with various parties at national and international levels

Center for Urban and Regional Resilience Research (CURE) is committed to promoting research, policy development, and assistance in urban regional resilience through collaboration with various parties at the local, national, and international levels.