New Orleans: Plan for Racial Equality and Environmental Justice

Planning in the New Orleans region before Katrina left many people, mostly Black and poor, vulnerable to a natural disaster. Planning for the future of New Orleans is a major concern to progressive urban planners. However, the discussion already unleashed at a national level does not adequately address the basic issues of racial inequality and environmental justice.

The Planners Network Steering Committee proposes several principles that should guide the New Orleans planning process. For example, "Need should be the main criterion for distributing compensation to victims. Those who are in greatest need include the poor, tenants without property, children and the elderly with limited assets. Businesses and property owners, especially those who have insurance, should not be the primary beneficiaries of government relief."

Thanks to Josh Lerner