What makes an institution durable?

My first instinct has usually been to look for stability. People need predictable rules, reliable institutions, and confidence that the commitments they depend upon will still exist tomorrow.

Seoul made me reconsider whether that is enough.

Within living memory, Seoul has been devastated by war, rebuilt, industrialized, democratized, expanded to accommodate millions of residents, and transformed again by digital technology. Its urban planning priorities evolved with it—from basic infrastructure and housing to transportation, regeneration, sustainability, and digital services. The World Bank describes the adaptability of Seoul's management system as a key element of that transformation. (World Bank)

That suggests an apparent contradiction. Good governance needs to be predictable, but it also needs to change. The solution may lie in distinguishing between the commitments that people need to rely upon and the mechanisms used to fulfill them.

A durable institution should not preserve every rule simply because it worked in the past. It needs feedback mechanisms that reveal what isn't working and enough flexibility to respond without undermining the confidence people have in the system.

Perhaps resilience doesn't mean returning everything to the way it was.

Perhaps it means learning without losing continuity.

Read the full article on Substack:

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