Mission Statement

1. Ethos, Practice & Legacy

Tomorrows Cities (TC) was a large UKRI funded research project with a mission “to reduce disaster risk for the poor in tomorrow’s cities.” The project ran from 2019 to 2024 and was led by the late Prof. John McCloskey of the University of Edinburgh, and Prof. Mark Pelling of University College London. The project aimed to use the best physical and social science, and computational modelling, to reduce natural hazard risk and climate change impacts, for the poorest communities in future cities.

There are two key aspects to TC Legacy

The Tomorrows Cities Decision Support Environment (TCDSE). This framework enables local stakeholders, to be directly involved in risk informed decision making to shape future cities.
Ten city teams who coproduced and implemented the TCDSE in their cities, and a large international network of communities, decision makers, experts, researchers, governments, and local and international NGOs.

The Tomorrows Cities Community of Practice (TC CoP) is a community of practice to build on TC legacy, and to further the ethos and practice of TC. In particular, the application of TC tools and approach to future natural hazard risk and climate impacts, the development of TC science, tools, and approach, and to grow the global network of TC collaborators and partners.

2. Aims

To further the ethos and practice of TC.
To function as a forum in which members share progress and information and learn from each other’s experience and expertise.
To advance TCDSE science, and catalyse new impact and research projects, and consultancy activities.
To promote TC uptake amongst existing and new city partners, and advance TCDSE implementation, to address current, and future natural hazard risk and climate change.
To develop a wide, diverse, global membership, through a range of activities, such as themed meetings, guest lectures, workshops, and conferences.
To extend TC CoP membership to new community, policy, academic, business, government, international development, and NGO partners.

3. Scope

The TC CoP is a meeting place for people with an interest in, and commitment to, growing TC ethos and practice. Members give their time on a voluntary basis. It is not a funded project or service, although it may help TC CoP members, (by sharing progress and information, themed meetings, guest lectures, workshops, and conferences), to form funded collaborations, projects, and activities amongst themselves. The TC CoP meets at least four times a year.

4. Governance

The TC CoP Chair rotates every six months.
The Chair to be initially drawn from the International Network, and then from City Teams.
Membership is fully inclusive and open to all TC participants. The TC CoP commits to be an inclusive community of practice with balanced representation across its membership reflecting a wide range of roles, age, gender, geography, career stage, institution, and disciplinary area.
A Steering Committee, (of five members including Chair and Deputy Chair), plus Secretary and Communications Officer will be elected from membership. The Steering Committee aims to be inclusive of the community of practice it serves and will pay due regard to a balanced inclusion of committee members across role, age, gender, geography, career stage, institution, and disciplinary area.
The Steering committee will meet every six months to review the TC CoP Mission, Membership and Strategy