rebuilding NO

[f5]

Will they be able to rebuild NO the way the city officals are vowing to do?

[tim_in_ga]

Unless they take a serious look at the situation of the levees, evacuation plans, etc; I really don't see the point.

[soonertwister]

For most parts of NOLA, the most cost-efficient solution will be to scrape the houses, the streets and the soil, all while the construction of hurricane-proof levees is ongoing. It will cost several times more to try to remediate individual houses than deal with this on a whole-systems basis. By removing the houses and the soil, they take the toxins out of the city, and then they have a clean slate from which to begin.

From my viewpoint, there's a trememdous opportunity to creat a new New Orleans with a blend of the old flavor with a new respect for where they live, and without the vast tracts of squalid and semi-squalid housing that existed before. If they do this right, NOLA can become a true world-class city, instead of a lurid international tourist attraction rotten with infrastructural decay and the stench of centuries of corrupt government.

It's all up to them. A new NOLA should not park the needy in the forgotten corner, left to die when things get rough.

[gunner1551]

[quote="soonertwister"]For most parts of NOLA, the most cost-efficient solution will be to scrape the houses, the streets and the soil, all while the construction of hurricane-proof levees is ongoing.[quote]

What do you think the cost will be on this?

[jeepster 4]

The port of NOLA is too important for this country and would be too expensive to reconstruct elsewhere on the gulf, besides, any gulf location is subject to hurricanes.

The town of NOLA, I predict, will be reproduced as a sanitized theme park with about as much resemblence to old New Orleans as the post Disney Times Square In NYC resembles old Times Square. I'm glad I knew the old New Orleans, the old Times Square, as well as the old Vegas...the cleaned up replicas just aren't as much fun.

[soonertwister]

For most parts of NOLA, the most cost-efficient solution will be to scrape the houses, the streets and the soil, all while the construction of hurricane-proof levees is ongoing.

What do you think the cost will be on this?

WAY more than 150 billion dollars.

[flnative]

I see no reason to build on land below sea level. NO historical district should be preserved and enhanced with substantial fed dollars while the population center should be moved to higher ground. No insurance company in their right mind would insure dwellings and businesses below sea level again. What intelligent business man would headquarter a company on land in a bowl below sea level? A lot of people are not going to move back into a bowl after they have seen how dumb it is to live in that situation. It just makes economic and common sense to move the city to higher ground and start over. Besides, the city is sinking anyway so the problem is just going to get worse through the years. Once is enough. Let's not set ourselves up for another disaster like this one.

[cancunkid]

I gotta throw this out there. I am sure it isn't a possibility but my Mother mentioned this in the car yesterday. they have a lot of debris so why don't they put the debris in the NO bowl in the lower levels and cover it with soil and build on top of it. Honestly after driving 14 hours this seemed close to genius. I am sure there are all kinds of engineering reasons this couldn't be done but they build on old landfills all the time and you have to wonder what you do with all that treated lumber, it shouldn't be burned if it is pressure treated. I would think there would be a lot of pressure treated wood in the humidity of the south. Okay now have at it! I am sure this is by far the dumbest of ideas but I know nothing about engineering at all.

[azskyman]

I have been involved in city and regional planning since the 1980's, and I concur that building below sea level...simply replacing dwellings in existing locations, is simply not acceptable.

Given, the port of New Orleans (and Gulfport and Biloxi) are absolute necessities to the economy of the region and the logical flow of goods and services. But now...beginning when recovery slides into future planning, is the time to establish new NATIONAL standards for acceptable building practices along hurricane prone seashores.

The cost of this catastrophe is of a magnitude beyond our understanding right now. Rebuilding without greater respect of nature's NEXT hit, multiplies that cost and is not an option.

Many of those being relocated will get jobs and start kids in school in new communities. They will be integrated into new geography and begin their lives anew.

Much study will be done. Tons of paperwork will be submitted. And learning is going on right now about what we must do next.

But building up the city as it was before is not an option.

[CajunMama]

I have spoken with NO evacuees from different walks of life. The poor don't want to go back. They're scared and rightly so. The middle class and upper middle class plan to move back. They have the means to start over there again. NO will be a totally different city than what we knew it as.

[wxmann_91]

I have been involved in city and regional planning since the 1980's, and I concur that building below sea level...simply replacing dwellings in existing locations, is simply not acceptable.

Given, the port of New Orleans (and Gulfport and Biloxi) are absolute necessities to the economy of the region and the logical flow of goods and services. But now...beginning when recovery slides into future planning, is the time to establish new NATIONAL standards for acceptable building practices along hurricane prone seashores.

The cost of this catastrophe is of a magnitude beyond our understanding right now. Rebuilding without greater respect of nature's NEXT hit, multiplies that cost and is not an option.

Many of those being relocated will get jobs and start kids in school in new communities. They will be integrated into new geography and begin their lives anew.

Much study will be done. Tons of paperwork will be submitted. And learning is going on right now about what we must do next.

But building up the city as it was before is not an option.

I really don't want to see a whole city abandoned, but perhaps they just need to raise the levees and/or restore the wetlands that naturally buffer the Louisiana coastline.

Remember that in 1803, Thomas Jefferson bought the Louisiana Purchase from France because of New Orleans, and if he hadn't bought it, the U.S. wouldn't be as large as it is today. It is a city full of rich and wonderful history, and remember that the western side of N.O. and much of the French Quarter wasn't flooded.

Then again, you can look at it from a different viewpoint, such as this one:

the worst human disaster in American history resulting from a natural disaster.

(from the Wikipedia article on Hurricane Katrina)

However, instead of completely rebuilding a city, why not make it safer? Thus preventing another human disaster resulting from a natural disaster.

[Skywatch_NC]

Some of the middle and upper middle class may want to move back...but not all.

Eric

[chrisnnavarre]

There is no choice but to rebuild it... it will not be torn down. They will clean it up as best they can. It will cost 100's of billions of dollars, but there will be no choice but to rebuild it.

It reminds me of that movie "Hunt for Red October" when the Admiral asked the question about what do you plan on doing with crew of the Russian submarine, eliminate them?

What are you going to do with the millions of people who live there. Who's going to absorb them?

No the city will be pumped out, nature will rain on it, and assist in the clean up. It always rains in New Orleans, from Fall to Spring.... Poor people will move back into homes and gut them....with government aid new sheet-rock will be placed in some. Other's well the money will be spent on crack rock and the homes at some point will be condemed.

But NO New Orleans will come back, faster than most of you could possibly imagine. It's been there a long time it's not going anywhere. No one wants a massive influx of these poor people and that's the God's truth.

Watch and see....

[CajunMama]

Chris, I beg to differ on the poor rebuilding. I would think they rented their homes and didn't own them.

[chrisnnavarre]

I think you would be surprised on the amount of home ownership even in the Ninth Ward of New Orleans.....

Federal programs have assisted people in buying homes there for years...
Those homes may be rented out but they have owners and then you wade into local Louisiana politics which is even more polluted than that water that is running through the streets right now.

No sorry but, those people will come back to New Orleans, lots of them anyway.

[f5]

The cost to rebuild NO makes Andrew's cost look like mere pennies

[crazycajuncane]

I've been fortunate to have MANY conversations with evacuees in the Lafayette area. One girl that works at the restaurant I work at had just moved to New Orleans. She was commuting to Lafayette to work one shift a week and she was eventually going to move to New Orleans for good. The restaurant has let her come back on full time and she has no plans on going back to New Orleans.

A table I waited on tonight said they were staying in the Youngsville area. They are going to buy a house and they won't go back to New Orleans. The wife told me that the husband WOULD go back, but she doesn't feel like it'll ever be the same again, so he has agreed to stay in the Lafayette area with her.

Here are two examples of people NOT willing to go back to New Orleans. Lots of families will not wait 3 - 4 months to go back.

Businesses will scale back. Some will go back, but many won't have the customer base to go back to. I see a NEW New Orleans probably never reaching 1/2 of what it is today. You see... many people unfortunately can't wait to go back... they must begin their lives again.

Now if 1/2 the people don't go back to New Orleans... 1/2 the businesses (restaurants, banks) have no reason to go back.

I don't see New Orleans ever being the same, BUT something tells me that I'll be surprised 5 years from now. I hope this is true.

[MBismyPlayground]

I know some of you will disagree, and maybe rightly so. Also I am sure those of you who are experienced with this kind of thing will chime in also.
Understand this........I am searching for anything of a positive note.....ANYTHING. I am not an engineer, or a builder or any of these things......Just a simple military wife and small bus. owner eeking out a living.

I think our country and President Bush have been given a wonderful opportunity if only we would follow up on this. MANY countries have offered their help. Doctors, money, supplies, HELP to rebuild the area.
Even some of our worst enemies have made offers (Cuba, China...)
I want to ask, WHY NOT???????????

Can you imagine.......getting all of these different people from all of these countries together, with all the different technology and ideas.....working together to rebuild a city.........A UNITED effort in the UNITED states......Imagine......for the first time in history, all of these countries working on the SAME GOAL and it isn't WAR!!!!!!!!!
I realize there would be many logistical nightmares along the way, security problems, and language barriers, but......OMG......the implications of such a thing........NEW ORLEANS.......INTERNATIONALLY BUILT.....

I know.......I need to take off the rose colored glasses......

[crazycajuncane]

I know some of you will disagree, and maybe rightly so. Also I am sure those of you who are experienced with this kind of thing will chime in also.
Understand this........I am searching for anything of a positive note.....ANYTHING. I am not an engineer, or a builder or any of these things......Just a simple military wife and small bus. owner eeking out a living.

I think our country and President Bush have been given a wonderful opportunity if only we would follow up on this. MANY countries have offered their help. Doctors, money, supplies, HELP to rebuild the area.
Even some of our worst enemies have made offers (Cuba, China...)
I want to ask, WHY NOT???????????

Can you imagine.......getting all of these different people from all of these countries together, with all the different technology and ideas.....working together to rebuild a city.........A UNITED effort in the UNITED states......Imagine......for the first time in history, all of these countries working on the SAME GOAL and it isn't WAR!!!!!!!!!
I realize there would be many logistical nightmares along the way, security problems, and language barriers, but......OMG......the implications of such a thing........NEW ORLEANS.......INTERNATIONALLY BUILT.....

I know.......I need to take off the rose colored glasses......

Ths would include putting all politics aside. Let Bush gain my respect back. Accept the help that is being offered. Take everything that is being offered to us. We;re always the ones people look at when disasters happen in other countries. It's finally hit home..... we need help from the world. Awesome post. We can only pray.

Put the politics aside... let's rebuild this nation... not just New Orleans. This could be a start to something much bigger. Your post brings in lots of positives.

[simplyme]

What are you going to do with the millions of people who live there. Who's going to absorb them?

They will have to be absorbed by other places while their city is being drained and de-contaminated anyway... how many of them will want to pick up and move back after starting over in a new location while all this goes on? Chances are, the draining and de-contamination process will take upwards of 6 months to a year... I can't even begin to list the cities who have offered homes and jobs to countless people. The list is amazing.

Then consider another view point. What happens first? Do people move back first, then retail moves back in, or does retail move in first, and sit there with full shelves while there is nobody there to buy their wares? Will retail want to move back in, now that the area has proved its vulnerability?