Prof. Daniel Aldrich Speaks at Planet Action 2025

Prof. Daniel Aldrich joined a distinguished panel of experts at the 2025 Boston TEDx event at MIT, where he presented his groundbreaking research on the role of social capital during shocks and disasters.

Rather than focusing solely on individual or government responses, Prof. Aldrich emphasized how bonding, bridging, and linking social capital play crucial roles in helping communities survive and thrive through crises. Drawing on compelling examples from North America and Japan, he demonstrated why centering networks must be fundamental to our resilience strategies.

Prof. Aldrich’s talk was part of a broader conversation on resilience and innovation, moderated by Desiree Plata, MIT School of Engineering’s Distinguished Climate and Energy Professor and Director of Parsons Laboratory. He was joined by fellow experts including Admir Masic, Professor and Researcher at MIT; Hessam Azari Jafari, Researcher in Concrete Sustainability and Energy Storage at MIT; and Miho Mazereeuw, Director of MIT’s Urban Risk Lab. Together, these speakers offered diverse perspectives on building more resilient systems and communities in an era of increasing environmental and social challenges.