Disaster Proofing Communities: How to Measure and Invest in the Invisible Infrastructure of Social Capital

A podcast-style AI generated overview of the "Creating a Social Capital + Social Infrastructure Measurement Framework: Building a connected and resilient Australia by measuring our invisible infrastructure," written by  Renae Hanvin, Professor Daniel Aldrich, and Vianne Reyes and published by Resilient Ready, October 2025.

Resilient Ready is an Australia-based social enterprise driving a new ecosystem in business and community risk reduction and resilience. They are a global collective of experts building everyday capabilities to save lives and livelihoods, strengthen community networks and global wellbeing.

The National Social Capital + Social Infrastructure Measurement Framework, is a system developed to shift disaster resilience planning from focusing on physical assets to prioritizing "invisible infrastructure," or human connections. The framework systematically defines and measures two key components: Social Capital (the trust and cooperation between people, broken into bonding, bridging, and linking ties) and Social Infrastructure (the shared physical places, like parks and community centers, where connections form).

Ultimately, the goal is to provide actionable data, validated through pilot testing in diverse South Australian communities, to guide proactive investment and policy alignment with national and international disaster risk reduction strategies.

Pop Research Robot is produced by the Shared-Use Mobility Center and the Global Network for Popular Transportation.