Planners Say 9th Ward Could Rise Again

"The predominantly black neighborhoods known as the 9th Ward can be brought back largely as they existed before Hurricane Katrina flooded them, a survey contends.

The finding contradicts the common perception that the neighborhoods are so damaged that they need to be rebuilt from scratch, said urban planners who conducted the survey.

"The structural integrity of the buildings, even in the most devastated areas, are in much better condition than has been reported," said Kenneth Reardon, chair of Cornell University's city and regional planning department.

Urban planners and students at Cornell, Columbia University and the University of Illinois carried out the survey, which was sponsored by ACORN, a national group that works to improve poor and moderate-income neighborhoods. The findings were released Saturday.

The only section needing to be rebuilt lies directly next to the levee breach on the Industrial Canal, an area that covers less than 1 square mile in the Lower 9th Ward, the survey found. Homes there were battered by flood waters of Katrina and later from Hurricane Rita."