Replication Data for: How Social Infrastructure Saves Lives: A Quantitative Analysis of Japan’s 3/11 Disasters

Observers have long debated how societies should invest resources to safeguard citizens and property, especially in the face of increasing shocks and crises. This article explores how social infrastructure -the spaces and places that help build and maintain social ties and trust, allowing societies to coordinate behavior -plays an important role in our communities, especially in mitigating and recovering from shocks. An analysis of quantitative data on more than 550 neighborhoods across the three Japanese prefectures most affected by the tsunami of 11 March 2011 shows that, controlling for relevant factors, community centers, libraries, parks, and other social infrastructure measurably and cheaply reduced mortality rates among the most vulnerable population. Investing in social infrastructure projects would, based on this data, save more lives during a natural hazard than putting the same money into standard, gray infrastructure such as seawalls.Decision makers at national, regional, and local levels should expand spending on facilities such as libraries, community centers, social businesses, and public parks to increase resilience to multiple types of shocks and to further enhance the quality of life for residents.长期以来，学界与政策制定者始终围绕社会应如何调配资源以保障民众生命与财产安全展开讨论，尤其在冲击与危机日益频发的当下。本文聚焦社会基础设施（social infrastructure）——即助力构建并维系社会联结与信任、支撑社会协同行为的空间与场所——在社区治理中的关键作用，尤其是在灾害冲击的减缓与灾后恢复层面。针对2011年3月11日海啸受灾最严重的日本三个都道府县内550余个街区的定量数据分析显示，在控制相关变量的前提下，社区中心、图书馆、公园及其他社会基础设施可切实且低成本地降低弱势人群的死亡率。基于本研究数据，在自然灾害场景中，投入同等资金建设社会基础设施，相较于投向海堤等灰色基础设施（gray infrastructure），能够挽救更多生命。国家、区域及地方各级决策者应加大对图书馆、社区中心、社会企业与公共公园等设施的投入，以提升社会应对多类冲击的韧性，并进一步改善居民生活品质。