The multitude of complex urban systems, combined with the autonomous of structuring technical systems (hard-wired telecommunications networks, radio, television, mobile communications, rail and other transport networks, water and waste water networks, energy networks, etc.), together with the numerous territorial service organisation and governance levels (city, grouped cities, departmental, regional, state and European levels), induce major malfunctions when problems are encountered. The numerous interactions between these various systems further increase global fragility, even where this multiplicity could be put to good use to transform it into redundancy and the development of interoperability. Any such malfunction is increasingly rejected by urban populations, numerous as they are and widely differing in social and cultural terms, stressed by their day to day environment and fre-quently requiring and expressing substantial expectations in regard to this environment from both the technical, social and human points of view. Globally, the urban system, in common with each of the individual systems on which it is based, is potentially vulnerable to the hazards associated with climate change, natural and technological risks or malevolent acts. These hazards are not new in themselves, but what is new is their frequency and intensity. Despite their different causes, the consequences of these events, in particular in regard to a return to a balanced situation regarded as equivalent to the preceding situation, are of the same nature (interrupted service, destruction, etc.) which is why they can be integrated in the same approach. The main objective of the RESILIS project will consequently be to propose ways and means for reducing the vulnerability of the system and facilitating the recommencement and continuity of activities. Using a long-term oriented systemic approach, we shall firstly be seeking both organisational and methodological responses with the aim of 1) creating synergetic governance of all levels; 2) adopting long-term, responsible management of the networks; 3) devising new design rules for technological tools and 4) and obtaining, by information and suitably adapted awareness enhancement, a positive contribution from populations and the economic players. Importance will also be attached to the predictability angle as, at the current time, predictability levels for systems in the event of a hazardous situation are extremely low, and correct anticipation of the reactions of complex systems is extremely difficult. It will consequently be necessary to extend our knowledge of both threats, initiator effects and weak signals. We shall take the human dimension into account as, through its imagination, adaptability and will to win, mankind can, provided the objectives are clear, overcome certain inadequacies of generic direc-tives and on occasions excessively complex engineering. The consortium set up for the RESILIS project, associating three leading French engineering entities engaged in substantial activities at international level, and research centres of repute both in France and other countries, has brought together the skills and expertise required to establish answers to questions emanating from the project call. This will lead to establishment of the foundations for urban resilience engineering designed to support the decision makers, economic players and populations in the development of genuine urban resilience.

Societal demand to 'minimise disturbance' from worksites while ensuring the transformation and sustainable management of ground, above-ground and underground infrastructure assets is heightened in urban areas and takes part fully in sustainable development objectives. The Discrete Urban Works Project ('projet Chantiers furtifs urbains') approaches the city with its complexity of a multitude of worksites conducted co-actively within a region, the diversity of their functions and usages, types of disturbances and environmental impacts relating to all urban services. The project seeks in particular to produce multicriterion decision support models and tools in order to anticipate worksite organisation and technical options capable of significantly attenuating the impact of worksites on the quality of life of city dwellers. Greatly marked by the systemic approach and task interaction and integration within the project, as well as by new synergies between the sciences of the engineer and the social and human sciences, the deliverables provide a validated range of design and functional levers acting on discrete project aspects: multicriterion decision support tools, effective control of underground infrastructures, industrial organisation of worksites, and worksite acceptability factors with a suitable perspective on Europe and beyond. The integration of the entire system over urban areas experiencing constant revitalisation will validate the relevancy of project output and the capacity of local authorities to better master the degree of worksite discretion for more sustainable towns and cities.