Joel Kotkin explores the reasons why those displaced by Hurricane Katrina have not moved back home and what it means for the cities where they are now living.
"But what happened to the estimated 1.5 million people who fled their flooded and destroyed homes in Alabama, Mississippi and Louisiana? The Katrina-spawned diaspora is arguably the largest in U.S. history. Federal statistics suggest that about 1 million evacuees from the hurricane-damaged areas have returned to their homes. That leaves a diaspora population of about half a million people. Where did they go? What happened to them?...
What seems to be happening is the boutiquing of New Orleans (think San Francisco), with its economy designed to service high-end clientele, tourists and a nomadic population of thrill-seeking young people. Lifestyle and culture would be its commodities...
..over time, diasporas often strengthen the places they settle, inspiring original settlers to strive for more than they otherwise would have...The cities in which Katrina victims are settling have their problems, of course, but they all boast diverse, highly cosmopolitan economies. ..The prospect of upward mobility in a new location may be the strongest reason for evacuees not to go home."
FULL STORY: Where Did the Gulf Coasters Go?
Planetizen Federal Action Tracker
A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.
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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
Chaddick Institute at DePaul University
Institute for Housing and Urban Development Studies (IHS)
City of Grandview
Regional Transportation Commission of Southern Nevada
Toledo-Lucas County Plan Commissions