ABSstä

ABSstä is a theoretical framework used in systems science to assess the stability and resilience of interconnected urban networks. It emphasizes adaptive boundaries between subsystems and cross-domain interactions, and it is used in academic and planning contexts to describe methods that account for spatial-temporal dynamics and potential cascading failures.

The term ABSstä emerged in interdisciplinary discussions about critical infrastructure resilience and combines elements from agent-based modeling, network science, and stochastic simulation. The framework provides a modular methodology for evaluating how changes in one subsystem can affect the broader network, including responses to failures, demand shifts, and environmental stressors.

Methodology and metrics within ABSstä typically involve scenario-based simulations that test various stressors such as demand spikes, component outages, and cyber-physical disruptions. Outputs often include a resilience index, expected time to recovery, and node-criticality scores, which can be used to develop recovery plans that prioritise actions with the greatest system-wide benefit. The approach supports iterative analysis, allowing planners to compare alternative configurations and policies.

Applications of ABSstä span smart grids, water and transportation networks, and urban data platforms. Researchers and municipal planners use it to evaluate resilience strategies, guide investment decisions, and inform risk-management practices across sectors that share infrastructure and information flows.

Criticism and limitations focus on data requirements, model complexity, and sensitivity to assumptions, which can affect transferability between cities. Proponents argue that ABSstä provides a common, integrative language for cross-sector resilience planning and decision support.

See also: resilience engineering; network science; urban planning; complex systems.