Neal Peirce reviews the flurry of rebuilding ideas taking shape in Katrina-ravaged areas.
Ideas have included: "...grind up storm debris to raise elevations, turn the main coastal road into a beachfront boulevard, pull major retail back into the historic city centers, build high-speed regional rail connected to local streetcar systems.
The charrette's most captivating idea: a compact (308 square feet) and affordable ($35,000) "Katrina cottage" designed by New Yorker Marianne Cusato -- big-windowed, one-bedroom structure with four bunks, ingenious storage space, faithful to Southern architectural traditions and built with quality materials -- a compelling alternative to FEMA trailers."
"And dare one say it -- could FEMA speedily release of all its advisory data on base flood elevations? And keep updating it? Then there'd be more grounds for debate and action on whether -- and how high -- to rebuild damaged homes, and where future federal flood insurance will be available."
FULL STORY: Katrina paradox: Calamity but fresh ideas

Maui's Vacation Rental Debate Turns Ugly
Verbal attacks, misinformation campaigns and fistfights plague a high-stakes debate to convert thousands of vacation rentals into long-term housing.

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

San Francisco Suspends Traffic Calming Amidst Record Deaths
Citing “a challenging fiscal landscape,” the city will cease the program on the heels of 42 traffic deaths, including 24 pedestrians.

Adaptive Reuse Will Create Housing in a Suburban Texas Strip Mall
A developer is reimagining a strip mall property as a mixed-use complex with housing and retail.

Study: Anti-Homelessness Laws Don’t Work
Research shows that punitive measures that criminalized unhoused people don’t help reduce homelessness.

In U.S., Urban Gondolas Face Uphill Battle
Cities in Latin America and Europe have embraced aerial transitways — AKA gondolas — as sustainable, convenient urban transport, especially in tricky geographies. American cities have yet to catch up.
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Heyer Gruel & Associates PA
JM Goldson LLC
Custer County Colorado
City of Camden Redevelopment Agency
City of Astoria
Transportation Research & Education Center (TREC) at Portland State University
Jefferson Parish Government
Camden Redevelopment Agency
City of Claremont