Creating Resilient Communities for Post-Sustainable Times

Resilience is a key factor in a community’s ability to adapt to unexpected changes such as those caused by natural or hu(man)-made disasters. Resilient communities are characterized by strong social ties during emergencies, access to a wide range of resources, and availability of support. The least resilient communities consist of vulnerable populations such as the poor, the elderly, new residents, and those who are alone, or isolated as a result of homelessness. These populations often lack strong social ties as well as access to resources. The purpose of this paper is to spark discussion around ways in which HCI can position itself to build resilient communities, especially among vulnerable populations during times of disaster. Drawing from existing literature around disaster recovery and planning, social science, and crisis informatics, this paper poses new research questions for “post-sustainable” HCI.