This special edition presents a selection of articles based on papers delivered at the 9th annual conference of the International Institute for Infrastructure Renewal and Reconstruction (a Consortium of approximately 18 Universities), held at the Queensland University of Technology in Brisbane Australia from July 8-10, 2013. The intent of the conference, entitled "Risk-informed Disaster Management: Planning for Response, Recovery and Resilience," was to examine themes relevant to enhancing planning for risk-informed response and recovery as well as developing a dialogue on resilience in infrastructure systems and communities affected by disasters.