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Stanford Urban Resilience Initiative

Who We Are

SURI is a network of researchers and students, disaster managers and community planners, and other community members and practitioners working together to develop the latest tools and technologies to build resilient communities.

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MISSION

The Stanford Urban Resilience Initiative (SURI) explores the frontier of Resilience Science & Engineering, an emerging field which applies engineering analyses to broader questions of social impact and human behavior in the context of disasters and extreme events.

RESEARCH THEMES

Quantifying resilience:
We aim to move from qualitative indicators of resilience to innovating quantifiable metrics of resilience. Through quantifying the impacts of preparedness and mitigation investments, we can help decision makers more effectively make a case for action.

Engineering analysis for decision support:
Through our expertise in disaster risk analysis and performance-based engineering assessment, we develop assessment tools to support societal decision-making. We aim to influence building codes, resilience planning initiatives, investment decisions, among others.

Harnessing non-traditional data and resources:
Technological developments in new communications technologies, crowdsourced data, remote sensing, and machine learning techniques coupled with investments in Smart and Connected Communities can significantly influence modern disaster planning and recovery. We aim to understand and utilize these technologies to build community resilience.