Neal Peirce writes that there is a way to rebuild New Orleans in a responsible, sustainable way: make low-lying areas parkland, and build denser neighborhoods on higher ground. But there appears to be no political will to make it happen.
"What one sees, eight months after Katrina engulfed 80 percent of New Orleans, is neighborhood after neighborhood overwhelmed by mountains of debris, wrecked homes, buildings knocked off foundations, watermarks up to roof lines, holes in roofs where people chopped their way out. There are even lingering 'Possible Body' signs.
And the destruction isn't just in the Lower Ninth Ward, which has received most national attention; even sections such as Lakewood, with million-dollar homes, were heavily damaged..."
"...the Rand Corp. estimates that barely 50 percent of New Orleans' people are likely to be back in town by 2008. And there's a real question: Will a city government on the verge of bankruptcy be able to assure water, sewer and electric services to neighborhoods with just a scattering of occupied houses? The federal government is repairing the broken levees, but relying on levees in an intensifying hurricane cycle is a crapshoot at best."
FULL STORY: New Orleans' throttled future
Planetizen Federal Action Tracker
A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.
Canada vs. Kamala: Whose Liberal Housing Platform Comes Out on Top?
As Canada votes for a new Prime Minister, what can America learn from the leading liberal candidate of its neighbor to the north?
The Five Most-Changed American Cities
A ranking of population change, home values, and jobs highlights the nation’s most dynamic and most stagnant regions.
Rethinking Computing: Researchers Tackle AI’s Energy Demands
USC researchers are reimagining how AI systems are trained and powered — through smarter algorithms, innovative hardware, and brain-inspired designs — to dramatically reduce computing’s energy footprint.
Amazon-Owned Robotaxis to Begin Testing in LA
Los Angeles will become the sixth city where Zoox is testing its autonomous vehicle technology.
New York MTA Says No More Borrowing, Will Cut Costs Instead
The agency says it won’t take out any new loans to finance its planned improvements and is finding other ways to cut costs.
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.
Planning for Universal Design
Learn the tools for implementing Universal Design in planning regulations.
New York City School Construction Authority
Village of Glen Ellyn
Central Transportation Planning Staff/Boston Region MPO
Institute for Housing and Urban Development Studies (IHS)
City of Grandview
Harvard GSD Executive Education
Regional Transportation Commission of Southern Nevada
Toledo-Lucas County Plan Commissions