New Urbanism's Role in Rebuilding New Orleans

"A year after the 1906 San Francisco earthquake and fire, San Franciscans had moved out of emergency camps in parks and playgrounds and were rebuilding their homes. Progress in New Orleans has been slower...

Levees and flood control infrastructure must be built by public agencies, but urban neighborhoods, as Jane Jacobs pointed out long ago, work best when created piecemeal by private households and entrepreneurs. So, a decentralized approach is definitely a good idea...

A successfully rebuilt New Orleansâ€"whoever plans itâ€"is likely to be a similar mix, of edgy and traditional, of downtown plate glass and neighborhood picket fences."