The Big Uneasy: Anger Over New Orleans' Building Moratorium

New Orleans residents warn of civil disorder if they are not allowed to return to their homes.

1 minute read

January 17, 2006, 7:00 AM PST

By Michael Dudley


"Sending messages tinged with confusion, frustration, anger and a dark sense of humor, hundreds of displaced New Orleans residents who trekked to City Hall Saturday for a public meeting on the city's rebuilding stuck to a common theme: No one can tell them where they can or cannot live."

"The high anxiety evident among the crowd of 500-plus that jammed the council chambers appeared to be a product of a controversial recommendation handed down this week by Mayor Ray Nagin's Bring New Orleans Back Commission, which said some flood-ravaged neighborhoods may have to prove their viability before rebuilding is allowed."

"'If the situation continues to erode, we are going to incite people to do what this city never did,' [one resident] said, noting that New Orleans was one of the few large American cities that did not experience rioting following Martin Luther King's assassination in 1968."

Saturday, January 14, 2006 in The Times-Picayune

portrait of professional woman

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching. Mary G., Urban Planner

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching.

Mary G., Urban Planner

Cover CM Credits, Earn Certificates, Push Your Career Forward

Logo for Planetizen Federal Action Tracker with black and white image of U.S. Capitol with water ripple overlay.

Planetizen Federal Action Tracker

A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.

June 11, 2025 - Diana Ionescu

Rendering of Shirley Chisholm Village four-story housing development with person biking in front.

San Francisco's School District Spent $105M To Build Affordable Housing for Teachers — And That's Just the Beginning

SFUSD joins a growing list of school districts using their land holdings to address housing affordability challenges faced by their own employees.

June 8, 2025 - Fast Company

Yellow single-seat Japanese electric vehicle drivign down road.

The Tiny, Adorable $7,000 Car Turning Japan Onto EVs

The single seat Mibot charges from a regular plug as quickly as an iPad, and is about half the price of an average EV.

June 6, 2025 - PC Magazine

White Waymo autonomous car driving fast down city street with blurred background at night.

Seattle's Plan for Adopting Driverless Cars

Equity, safety, accessibility and affordability are front of mind as the city prepares for robotaxis and other autonomous vehicles.

4 hours ago - Smart Cities Dive

Two small wooden one-story homes in Florida with floodwaters at their doors.

As Trump Phases Out FEMA, Is It Time to Flee the Floodplains?

With less federal funding available for disaster relief efforts, the need to relocate at-risk communities is more urgent than ever.

6 hours ago - Governing

People riding bicycles on separated bike trail.

With Protected Lanes, 460% More People Commute by Bike

For those needing more ammo, more data proving what we already knew is here.

June 16 - UNM News