Moving Beyond Recovery to Restoration and Rebirth: Urban Land Institute Makes Recommendations on Rebuilding New Orleanstitle
NEW ORLEANS, Nov. 18 /PRNewswire/ -- The rebuilding of New Orleans should
occur through a phased process that accommodates the immediate needs of its
downsized population, and which poises the city for future growth as it
evolves from recovery to restoration, reform and rebirth, according to a panel
of land use experts representing the Urban Land Institute (ULI).
In a public forum held today, the panel presented detailed rebuilding
recommendations to the Bring New Orleans Back Commission, including specifics
on economic development and culture; government effectiveness; and planning,
including infrastructure, housing and urban planning and design. The
presentation capped a week-long visit during which more than 50 ULI members,
all specialists in urban and post-disaster development, toured the city, held
a public forum drawing more than 300 people, and interviewed more than 150
citizens representing a broad range of interests, including business, civic,
political, cultural, utility, healthcare and education representatives and
community activists. Prior to the panels visit, ULI spent more than a month
making repeated visits to the city to gather citizens input and collect
research.
"We were not here for the storm and the floods. You were. Only you can
understand the devastation -- both physical and spiritual," said panel
chairman Smedes York, president of York Properties, Inc., in Raleigh, N.C.
"Our role is to help with the physical and economic rebuilding of the city, to
help you to look to the future."
York prefaced the panels presentations by pointing out that the city is
much smaller (having lost 300,000 residents and 160,000 jobs), and that it
will take time for people to come back. Moreover, he said, there are areas of
the city that the panel believes should not be developed at this time.
"New Orleans is a national and international treasure. The culture of the
city must be retained and enhanced, including historic preservation, music,
art, food, faith, architecture and the strong sense of community," York said.
Although the citys efforts to move forward are "commendable," York said the
rebuilding effort "needs to be more extensive and move rapidly."
The recurring message throughout the presentation: focus on making New
Orleans a more livable and equitable city capable of both luring back
displaced residents and attracting new ones.
The panel highlighted several actions and observations it considers
essential to spur rebuilding and ensure the citys long-term viability,
including:
* The establishment of a temporary financial oversight board to ensure
fairness and equity in obtaining federal funding (with members
representing the federal, state and local governments);
* The establishment of a rebuilding corporation -- the Crescent City
Rebuilding Corporation -- to expedite reconstruction of both
residential and commercial properties;
* The recognition that every citizen has a right to return to a safe city
(with enhanced levees and ecosystem restoration playing a key role in
ensuring future safety);
* The adoption of clear criteria for neighborhood restoration and
development, with an emphasis on the inclusion of residents in the
planning and restoration;
* The acceptance that diversity, equity and cooperation are keys to
rebuilding;
* The need for diverse economic development that results in the creation
of a broader range of jobs providing a broader salary range (the panel
also endorsed a requirement for a livable wage);
* The recognition of the influence of the faith-based community in
maintaining the recoverys momentum;
* The need for tax reform and incentives to build up the citys tax base
and encourage private investment; and
* The need for a regional approach on such critical issues as levees,
transportation systems, emergency response and economic development.
The panelists pointed to the vast potential of the rebuilding process as a
source of short-term and long-term economic growth for the city. "A great
opportunity will be lost if steps are not taken immediately to ensure that as
much of the new economic activity as possible directly benefits city residents
and local businesses," said panel member Patrick Phillips, president of
Economics Research Associates in Washington, D.C.
In terms of immediate economic development actions, the panel recommended
giving top priority to local, small and minority businesses for rebuilding
work, and the creation of job-linked training and workforce development.
Longer-range plans should include building on various segments of the citys
economy, starting with its rich music and dining industries, its port,
healthcare and higher educational sectors, and expanding into other areas such
as bioscience and retirement living.
Regarding government effectiveness, the panelists provided details on the
structure and responsibilities of the entities that it feels must be created
to ensure a smooth, equitable flow of the funding -- mainly federal funding --
that is needed to rebuild infrastructure; handle land assembly and
disposition; repair, renovate and develop; support small businesses; restore
medical and port facilities; and provide environmental remediation.
The creation of a temporary financial oversight board would enable the
city to avoid bankruptcy, the panelists said, noting that this step has
occurred in other cities during times of financial distress. Such a board
would oversee and approve the citys budget, approve major contracts, and
recommend financing options for redevelopment, the panelists said.
Among the responsibilities of the Crescent City Rebuilding Corporation:
buying homes and property; purchasing and restructuring mortgages; financing
redevelopment; land banking; bond issuance; neighborhood planning assistance;
and fostering the creation of community development corporations.
"New local government entities are necessary so that federal funds will be
deployed effectively, with cooperation among different levels of government,
and in a way that inspires the confidence of citizens, businesses, private
capital -- and indeed, all Americans -- in the future of a rejuvenated New
Orleans," said panelist Carl Weisbrod, president of the real estate division
of Trinity Church in New York City.
Regarding housing, the panelists based their recommendations on the
premise that New Orleans property owners and renters are entitled to fair
compensation and equitable redevelopment opportunities that provide sufficient
resources to rebuild in place or relocate to developable areas.
Among its "urgent" housing action recommendations:
* Assess the existing housing stock;
* Activate the Crescent City Rebuilding Corporation;
* Provide temporary housing;
* Repopulate suitable public housing;
* Design guidelines and technical assistance for property owners;
* Extend the mortgage forbearance period; and
* Provide financial support, both equity and debt, for homeowners
impacted by Hurricane Katrina to enable their right to return.
The panelists noted a pressing need for the immediate production of
workforce housing, pointing to its direct connection to the economic recovery
of New Orleans businesses. Moreover, panelists said such housing must become
more integrated into the citys neighborhoods. "In contrast to the past
practice of isolating, concentrating and stigmatizing poor and modest income
families in public housing or other rent subsidized enclaves, New Orleans
neighborhoods must be more inclusive," said panelist Tony Salazar, president
of the west coast division of McCormack Baron Salazar in Los Angeles.
The panelists recommended that affordable units be dispersed throughout
the neighborhoods, indistinguishable from other properties and connected to
neighborhood amenities. In addition, the panelists discussed interim housing
issues, including the need for an ample supply of site locations, design
issues, and the need to foster greater community acceptance through constant
consultation and a dismantling schedule.
In the area of urban planning, the citys "remarkable urban pattern is the
foundation for the future New Orleans, reflected by strong neighborhoods,
historical architecture, boulevards, and a close-knit pattern of housing,
institutions, shops and workplaces," said panelist William Gilchrist, director
of the department of planning, engineering and permits for Birmingham, Ala. As
New Orleans charts a course for its future, the panelists suggested several
principles for framing its rebuilding decisions:
* Plans should be faithful to what makes New Orleans unique, in terms of
its rich culture, history, and "old urbanist" neighborhood design. "The
true heart of the city beats in all its neighborhoods, which display a
character that is authentic and home-grown," said panelist Fernando
Costa, planning director for Fort Worth, Texas.
* Natural and engineered solutions must be balanced to meet
infrastructure needs. "As New Orleans designs and strengthens its flood
protection, its engineered system (levees, sea walls, drainage canals
and pumping stations) can be supplemented by restoring natural areas
within the city and building in concert with its topography," said
panelist Joseph Brown, chairman and chief executive officer of EDAW,
Inc., in San Francisco.
* Recovery must be equitable, sustainable and mobilize as many citizens
as possible. Panelists noted that the reconstruction process needs to
be phased, beginning with the areas that are safe, and which offer the
best opportunities for restoration and development. Areas of the city
that were severely damaged will require more time for decisions
regarding restoration, and these decisions must be made in a
transparent and fair process, they said.
Regarding infrastructure, the panelists advised that development proceed
immediately, and be categorized by emergency, interim and long-term stages.
Among the recommendations:
* Sustainable development principles should guide infrastructure
planning, design and construction;
* Phase infrastructure improvements by assigning priorities to geographic
areas most environmentally suitable for development and to critical
economic development sectors;
* Rebuild a reliable and safe regional levee system and restore coastal
wetlands;
* Develop and improve a local and regional transportation system that
connects neighborhoods and facilitates evacuation;
* Establish a centralized regional infrastructure planning process; and
* Coordinate local land use and infrastructure planning and decision-
making.
In conclusion, panel chair York pointed out that while the panels charge
was to craft recommendations on a rebuilding strategy, the decisions on moving
forward can only be made by the citizens of New Orleans. Despite Hurricane
Katrinas vast devastation, the storm "crystallized a chance to write a new
chapter in the book" of the citys history, he said. "This new chapter must be
written by the people of New Orleans. We are confident that your resilient
spirit will prevail."
The Urban Land Institute (http://www.uli.org) is a nonprofit education and
research institute supported by its members. Its mission is to provide
responsible leadership in the use of land in order to enhance the total
environment. Each year, the Institute honors an extraordinary community
builder through the Urban Land Institute J.C. Nichols Prize for Visionaries in
Urban Development. Established in 1936, the Institute has more than 28,000
members representing all aspects of land use.
