Modeling Stakeholder Response Networks in Climate-Impacted Urban Infrastructure Systems: Evidence from 62 Cases in China

Abstract The escalating threat of climate change to urban infrastructure safety and stability underscores the urgent need for effective stakeholder collaboration, a topic that remains underexplored in current research. This study uses social network analysis and grounded theory to construct a Climate Change-Urban Infrastructure Stakeholder Response Network (CC-UISERN). The CC-UISERN is validated using 62 climate-related cases from China. This study thoroughly explores the structural characteristics and collaboration mechanisms of the CC-UISERN using both overall network and spatial clustering analysis. The findings reveal a network characterized by high density and near-optimal global efficiency, yet blockmodel analysis uncovers latent structural decoupling between knowledge production and operational response. The study advances theoretical understanding of stakeholder network resilience and offers actionable insights for optimizing collaborative governance in climate-impacted urban infrastructure systems.