New Orleans Rebuilds from the Ground Up
In the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, the government's primary focus has been protecting citizens from violent crime in a city that was already dangerous before the disaster and has become even more so since. The city of New Orleans, once home to 455,000 residents, was left inundated with floodwaters, forcing nearly all its inhabitants to leave their homes.
By early 2008, New Orleans had 302,000 residents, with 2,000 more returning each month. This gradual return was evident in areas like Lakeview, where 44% of the population had returned by the summer of 2006. However, the rebuilding process was largely left to the citizens themselves, with Mayor Ray Nagin abandoning any huge effort to plan neighborhoods and instead urging citizens to "Rebuild at your own risk."
Organisations like Habitat for Humanity and the Preservation Resource Center (PRC) have played significant roles in the rebuilding process. Habitat for Humanity is executing one of New Orleans's most ambitious post-Katrina building projects, creating a whole neighbourhood on five square blocks of the Upper Ninth Ward. They are completing 72 houses on their "core site" and working on 70 more nearby, with costs under $80 per square foot. Their homes are designed to be structurally sound and fit seamlessly into their surroundings.
PRC, on the other hand, is offering workshops on how to eradicate mold, providing free cleaning supplies and lists of contractors, and starting a "selective salvage" operation. They are also building "Katrina Cottages" in the historic neighbourhood of Holy Cross, aiming to build brand-new houses for under $70 per square foot.
Local architects and clients are also contributing to the rebuilding effort, using their own money to rebuild homes in New Orleans, focusing on flood-resistant designs. Architect Byron Mouton, for instance, is designing homes with a "disposable" first floor for practical purposes and affordability.
The Bring New Orleans Back (BNOB) panel suggested prohibiting rebuilding in low-lying neighbourhoods that didn't first "prove their viability" and marking some low-lying areas where people already lived as parks. This proposal was met with public outrage and was not implemented.
In the face of crime, various agencies and organisations have worked together to ensure safety. The New Orleans Police Department, the FBI, the Louisiana National Guard, local community organisations, and key figures like Police Superintendent Eddie Compass and U.S. Attorney Jim Letten have all played important roles in combating crime after Hurricane Katrina.
Federal agencies, including FEMA and the Army Corps of Engineers, have also been instrumental in the rebuilding process. They have cleared debris, unclogged waterways, provided trailers, repaired levees, and worked on upgrading flood-control infrastructure.
In New Orleans East, Father Nguyen The Vien and his parishioners repaired their church and began using it as a base to tackle their own houses after Katrina. Meanwhile, PRC has fixed up and brought 72 families home in Broadmoor. They are also improving the surrounding infrastructure and building a playground and musicians' center in the Upper Ninth Ward.
Actor Brad Pitt's team, Make It Right, plans to build 150 houses for property owners whose homes were destroyed in a hard-hit Lower Ninth Ward tract. They are holding a competition for architects to design elevated, mold-resistant, flood-resilient, energy-efficient houses that meet strict specifications for under $150,000.
In conclusion, the rebuilding of New Orleans has been a community-led effort, with citizens, organisations, and agencies working together to create a safer, more resilient city. Despite the challenges, progress has been made, and the city continues to rebuild and recover.
