The Structural Analysis of Virtual Social Capital for Urban Resilience in a Metropolitan Area: The case of Tokyo and Bangkok

Abstract

This study clarified the structure in which virtual social capital (SC) affects the quality of life (QOL) and promotes urban resilience in a metropolitan area. It has been determined that assistance from neighboring residents and acquaintances is essential for community resilience and is considered one of the critical factors in urban systems' resilience. These social ties among residents are called SC. In today's metropolises, social ties with others are shifting from face-to-face relationships to virtual relationships. In this study, virtual SC is defined as a weak virtual network formed among people through social media, email, telephones, letters, which is less overlapped with networks formed in face-to-face networks. Also, direct communication online positively affects psychological and personal well-being (QOL). The case study in this paper examines the Tokyo metropolitan region and Bangkok metropolitan region. A web-based survey was administered among those in the younger generation who communicate daily using online tools, and 193 valid responses were collected. Structural Equation Modeling was used to analyze. This study's hypothesis model is the structure that virtual SC affects urban resilience through the quality of life. The difference in structure was identified as both ordinary time and the period of emergency declaration. Virtual SC affected urban resilience through QOL during ordinary times. On the other hand, Virtual SC directly worked towards urban resilience during the period of an emergency declaration. Moreover, the use of media with bridging actors forms rich virtual SC and improves urban resilience. Finally, some recommendations of virtual SC use for urban resilience in a metropolitan area were discussed.