Urban resilience: forwarding sustainable urban development through community capacity-building

How can sustainable urban development and urban resilience be achieved? Preceding research has established the critical need for balancing societal, environmental, and economic systems to achieve sustainable urban development. This study uses mixed research methods to analyze a case study on the University of Texas at Austin’s West Campus and produce a framework for approaching sustainable urban development through community engagement. The scope of research on sustainable development is informed by the UN Sustainable Development Goals and the “Social Sustainability” framework to explore the interdisciplinary nature of urbanism and sustainability. As a result of growth and increased density, the area outlined in the West Campus case study area is increasingly understood as a distinct urban community. This study presents the opportunity for the community to model sustainable development and effective stakeholder engagement. Utilizing literature review and survey research, the findings of this research suggest that the capacity-building model offers the West Campus community the opportunity to identify and achieve their Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) by linking local community stakeholders and groups. This study also presents an adaptable framework for other communities to identify their own interdisciplinary challenges and achieve tailored SDGs.