Why Rebuild New Orleans?
- New Orleans has suffered a profound and tragic loss.
- 20% of the city is NOT underwater and proved it can stand a direct hit by a category 5 hurricane.
- As fellow American and fellow humans, we cannot turn our backs on those displaced by the tragedy.
- Even if it were financially practical, it would not necessarily be desireable to rebuild New Orleans in exactly the same way as it was.
- Neither can the city be plowed under and forgotten. Even without its rich history and culture, New Orleans is economically vital to the country due to its position near the mouth of the Mississippi and astride the the vital Gulf Coast oil and petrochemical industry.
- By the time it is rebuilt, many of the former residents will have moved on and started life in another part of the country. Many already express no interest in returning. Indeed, for many, this tragedy is an opportunity to start a new life outside of the worst New Orleans had to offer-- crime-infested projects where thugs prey upon the weakest and most vulnerable members of society
While the natural state of New Orleans is largely below sea level, it is not logical to think that a city with the industrial importance, let alone the cultural importance, can thrive in a mere 20% of the area of its former self. A more logical model for New Orleans than the Netherlands might be the man-made islands off Kobe, Japan or in Tokyo Bay. Kobe's Port Island and Rokko Island are particularly good models for New Orleans.
Although severely damaged by the Hanshin Earthquake of 1995, buildings built to code remained largely intact as did most of the man-made portions of both islands. In fact, a third man-made island for the Kobe airport will open later this year just off the southeast of Port Island. The islands are linked to the mainland both with causeways and an electric train system.
Each island, while part of the larger community, is self-contained with its own housing, shopping and cultural areas.
Rokko Island revolves around the Proctor & Gamble Japan headquarters with an international flavor, international resident housing, parks and international schools.
Port Island, as the stepping stone between the new Kobe Airport and the downtown trade center of Sannomiya on the mainland, hosts the convention center, museums, an amusement park as well as higher density housing and hotels.
The Airport Island, of course, revolves around the airport with industrial parks, airline freight and passenger servicing.
New Orleans, of course, could be rebuilt on a similar scale as funds, efforts and investment allows.
The French Quarter, of course, would be the commercial hub and the quickest to restore since the damage was minimal.
Another island could be built around the theme of trade and commerce. It could be in close proximity, but not the same area as the tourist magnet French Quarter.
Another island might host city services, foreign consulates, a jail, a bus depot and a ferry boat dock.
Still another would have a park, a marshland and lower density higher priced housing.
Yet another island might host refining and petrochemical industries, have a combined cycle power plant to run off the waste heat of the industries and perhaps even an incinerator to consume the waste produced by the growing city.
The causeways and trains which join the various islands would be supplemented by ferry boats as demand dictated, giving New Orleans a further tourist draw with a Venice-like atmosphere.
As commerce and tourism grows, yet another island could be built with high density housing and retail stores targeted to the citizens thereof.
Each island would be surrounded by a buffer ring of marshland before being compacted in the center of the structure to support higher density construction. The marshland would then give way to a park which could be flooded in emergencies before water reaches the built-up compacted areas.
The channels between the islands would periodically be dredged to stimulate waterflow and water commerce, returning perhaps 40% of the present city to a natural or near natural state.
Much of the project would be self-financing as commerce and tourism bring the city back to life.
While the above is by no means a complete or exhaustive plan, it is an outline of what has already succeeded elsewhere, would be appropriate given the cultural and commercial value of New Orleans and would work with the environment rather than against it.