Meta-Synthesis of Urban Form Resilience in the Face of Natural and Environmental Hazards: A Conceptual Approach

Aims: This study seeks to develop a comprehensive conceptual understanding of urban resilience by examining it through the lens of urban form in relation to natural and environmental hazards. The objective is to clarify how the physical and spatial characteristics of urban form contribute to the capacities of absorption, adaptation, and recovery within urban systems exposed to environmental disturbances. Methodology: A qualitative meta-synthesis was conducted following the seven-step framework proposed by Sandelowski and Barroso, which represents a rigorous form of qualitative systematic review. A total of 2,439 articles were retrieved from the Scopus database using a structured search strategy. After PRISMA-based screening of titles, abstracts, and full texts, 49 articles meeting the inclusion criteria were selected for the final synthesis. The extracted findings were coded, compared, and interpretively integrated to develop a unified conceptual framework of urban form resilience. Finding: The synthesis identifies six core components that define the conceptual structure of urban form resilience: ecological sensitivity, indeterminacy, polycentricity (decentralization and modularity), connectivity (permeability), functionality (multi-capacity), and redundancy. These components collectively represent the multidimensional and dynamic nature of urban form, demonstrating how spatial configuration, functional diversity, and system flexibility shape resilience outcomes with respect to natural and environmental hazards. Conclusion: The results indicate that the resilience of urban form emerges from the interaction between spatial structure, functional complexity, and the adaptive potential of urban systems when confronted with environmental risks. The conceptual framework proposed in this study provides a theoretically grounded model for understanding the resilience of urban form and offers a foundation for future empirical investigations and resilient urban planning strategies.