Revealing the Perceived Community Resilience During the Pandemic in the City Area of Harbin through Social Media

Abstract

The use of social media has played a significant role in influencing individuals' perceptions of community resilience, particularly in the face of global disasters. The study focuses on the city of Harbin in northeastern China to examine public responses to the pandemic and to assess perceived community resilience in regions severely affected by recurrent epidemics in a spatio-temporal context using social media data. The results of the study show that urban centers, characterized by high population density and well-developed urban infrastructure, had the highest level of public concern about the epidemic. In addition, users associated with universities and research institutions showed positive attitudes towards the epidemic. Public reactions were most pronounced during periods of strict prevention and control measures, with an increase in out-break-related tweets and a prevalence of negative sentiment. The study highlights the differences in reactions between people from different backgrounds and the impact of the epidemic and related prevention and control measures on different aspects of daily life. Based on the findings, policy measures are proposed to improve urban epidemic preparedness, covering both physical infrastructure and human factors. This study contributes to a deeper understanding of the Chinese urban context and provides valuable insights for urban planning and management in underdeveloped regions.