Fort Worth Planner Tapped To Lead New Orleans Planning Advisory Team

29 September 2005 - 10:00am

Fort Worth City planner Fernando Costa has been tapped to lead an APA-formed team of five planners in advising New Orleans' city staff as they regroup after the devastation of Hurricane Katrina.

"The American Planning Association is assembling the team under contract with the Federal Emergency Management Agency... Yolanda Winnier-Rodriguez, executive director of the New Orleans Planning Commission, said her department has a skeleton crew at a command center at the New Orleans Hyatt Hotel.

A team of five city planners has been named to help plan the rebuilding of New Orleans:

  • Fernando Costa, city planning director of Fort Worth.
  • Bob Lurcot, former planning director of Pittsburgh.
  • Chandra Foreman, an urban planner from Tampa, Fla.
  • Rich Roths of the URS Corp.
  • Grover Mouton, who teaches urban design at the Tulane University School of Architecture in New Orleans."
  • Source: Star-Telegram, September 29, 2005

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    mr. fernado costa

    Mr.Costa was the chief planner of Atlanta for 11 years...

    Does anybody have credentials for these folks?

    I would be worried about the team, is this a political attempt to stack the deck for pro-gentrification, pro new-plastic-watered down-could-be-anywhere-with a casino- type of development. Or, is the team assembled of real planners who have through their experience shown a real dedication to the local community, made development easier while preserving natural resources, with a good urban design sense, and a sense of humor? Any comments out there?

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