Jingfeng-yuan@seu.edu.cn

wji2@gmu.edu

manqp@126.com

jin.zhu@seu.edu.cn

Urban lifeline systems provide critical support for maintaining urban functionality and societal well-being. At the same time, broader social and natural systems influence the planning, design, operation, and maintenance of these lifelines. Effectively managing lifeline systems requires a holistic approach that recognizes and leverages these interconnections.

This session focuses on integrating urban lifelines into broader social and natural system frameworks to promote sustainable development. The aim is to examine how these systems interact with each other, as well as explore innovative strategies to meet the evolving challenges, such as climate change, urbanization and socioeconomic disparities.

Key topics include but not limited to:

• Interdependencies between urban lifelines and social systems, such as governance structures, community needs, and economic dynamics.
• The role of natural systems, including ecosystems and climate, in shaping infrastructure vulnerabilities and opportunities.
• Integrated infrastructure management during extreme weather events.
• Frameworks and tools for incorporating equity, sustainability, and resilience into infrastructure planning and operations.
• Advances in data-driven methods for monitoring, assessing, and managing urban lifeline interconnections.

The session invites interdisciplinary contributions that bridge research and practice, offering theoretical insights, practical applications, or policy-relevant solutions. By fostering dialogue among researchers and practitioners, this session seeks to uncover pathways for designing and managing urban lifelines that are more adaptive, inclusive, and sustainable, ensuring they support thriving cities and resilient societies to meet complex global challenges.