Seth D. Kaplan is a leading expert on fragile states, societies, and communities. He is a Professorial Lecturer at the Johns Hopkins SAIS, a Senior Adviser for the Institute for Integrated Transitions (IFIT), and a consultant to organizations including the World Bank, the U.S. State Department, and USAID. 

Kaplan’s latest book, Fragile Neighborhoods: Repairing American Society, One Zip Code at a Time, offers an urgent examination of why American society is struggling—and how to rebuild it. Drawing on the stories of five organizations effectively strengthening America’s social fabric, along with research and on-the-ground insights, he argues for a “sideways” approach to change rather than the traditional top-down or bottom-up methods. He highlights innovative efforts to restore relationships and social environments in communities ranging from rural Kentucky to inner-city Detroit.