The price of building and delivering a FEMA trailer is $75,000. Building a Katrina Cottage costs $60,000. While the safety and aesthetics of the former are questionable, the latter is designed to withstand hurricane force winds. What's the problem?
"The Louisiana Recovery Authority, St. Bernard Parish and the Mississippi governor's office are all lobbying FEMA to replace the temporary travel trailers it is housing displaced storm victims in with the 'Katrina Cottage,' a 400- to 750-square-foot pre-fabricated home that sleeps four, can be erected in days, and could eventually be expanded into a full-sized permanent home."
"Andres Duany, a Miami architect who promotes 'new urbanism,' a planning philosophy that seeks to create compact towns that reduce suburban sprawl, is working with Louisiana on planning issues and is a critic of FEMA trailers.
'The use of temporary trailers is a viable proposition if the loss is something on proportion of (Hurricane) Andrew, (which destroyed) 20,000 to 30,000 houses,' Duany said. But the metro area lost 300,000 homes as a result of Hurricane Katrina.
Spending more than $70,000 on a travel trailer is an 'absolute scandal and waste of taxpayer money,' Duany said. '(FEMA got) caught with the wrong model and wrong policy.'"
Thanks to Edward Erfurt
FULL STORY: Officials push to replace trailers with Katrina Cottages
The Top Urban Planning Books of 2021
Planetizen's annual list of the top urban planning books of the year is here—maintaining a tradition that dates back to 2002.
The Roadway Expansion Paradox
Motorists want expensive roadway expansions provided that somebody else foots the bill, but when required to pay directly through tolls, the need for more capacity often disappears. What should planners do?
Urban Exodus: Data Don't Support the Popular Pandemic Narrative
Americans fled cities in waves during the pandemic, right? Not to so fast.
Doubling Down on Bus Rapid Transit in Northern Virginia
Arlington County plans an expansion of the D.C. region's first Bus Rapid Transit line.
Study: At Least 1,500 Unhoused Died on the Streets of L.A. During the Pandemic
New research represents the first detailed picture of death among people experiencing homelessness during the pandemic.
Measuring the Economic Impact of the Great Allegheny Passage
Small communities once dependent on coal, coke, paper, lumber, and manufacturing now have a 150-mile bike and pedestrian path contributing to the local economy.
Nelson\Nygaard
BRAILSFORD & DUNLAVEY
Water Replenishment District (WRD)
HUD's Office of Policy Development and Research
HUD's Office of Policy Development and Research
City of San Carlos
HUD's Office of Policy Development and Research
City of Royal Oak, Michigan
Urban Design for Planners 1: Software Tools
This six-course series explores essential urban design concepts using open source software and equips planners with the tools they need to participate fully in the urban design process.
Hand Drawing Master Plans
This course aims to provide an introduction into Urban Design Sketching focused on how to hand draw master plans using a mix of colored markers.
