This mixed-methods study examines the case of 30 advisory committees across 25 municipalities in Miyagi and Iwate Prefectures in northeast Japan after the 3/11 triple disasters. Drawing on synthetic control experiments, social network analysis, and case studies, we test whether the design of these committees’ policies or the traits of these committee networks improved the recovery trajectories of municipalities. We find that communities highly connected to this network of advisory committees saw better economic recovery than expected, especially when researchers, hyper-connected individuals, or plans for community centers were involved, controlling for disaster damage, infrastructure quality, social vulnerability, governance capacity, emergency services, and social capital. Our results bring with them a number of concrete policy recommendations for disaster managers, local residents, and decision makers.

这项混合方法研究调查了日本东北部宫城县和岩手县 25 个城市的 30 个咨询委员会在 3/11 三重灾难之后的案例。利用综合控制实验、社会网络分析和案例研究，我们测试这些委员会的政策设计或这些委员会网络的特征是否改善了市政当局的恢复轨迹。我们发现，与这个咨询委员会网络高度相关的社区看到了比预期更好的经济复苏，尤其是当研究人员、高度联系的个人或社区中心计划参与时，控制了灾害破坏、基础设施质量、社会脆弱性、治理能力、紧急服务和社会资本。