ULI's Special Report On The Gulf Coast

From Kreisler's article, "A Rude Awakening":

"The city has tough questions about building sustainable communities so that five to ten years from now, the city will be stronger, have better schools, more local community control, charter schools, less politics, and an adequate levee system,” comments Watson. "We want everyone to come back and rebuild, and for the federal government to step up with adequate levee protection. But we may find out in practical terms that only a minority will return. We need to look at the city’s ability to sustain itself."

By June, says Canizaro, it will be possible to see who returns and for the city to begin to repair its infrastructure. "People will be coming back, but we need a mechanism to come together and see what should be our neighborhoods," he adds. "Revitalization is going to be complex. You've got to remember that New Orleans became the most devastated city in America and one of the most devastated in the world. We’ve got to listen to the needs of the people and respond in an intelligent manner, although we may not agree or be able to do what they want."