Why Rebuild New Orleans?

Geocities ^ | 6 September 2005 | (Vanity)

[Vigilanteman]

Why Rebuild New Orleans?

Whatever one may think about the corruption of a city's machine government, the rich history of a city which has given us art, culture and culinary delight, or the feasability of rebuilding in the bathtub of a swamp, there are a few facts which are undeniable:

1. New Orleans has suffered a profound and tragic loss.
   
2. 20% of the city is NOT underwater and proved it can stand a direct hit by a category 5 hurricane.
   
3. As fellow American and fellow humans, we cannot turn our backs on those displaced by the tragedy.
   
4. Even if it were financially practical, it would not necessarily be desireable to rebuild New Orleans in exactly the same way as it was.
   
5. 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.
   
6. 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

The logical conclusion is the New Orleans needs to be rebuilt, but certainly not in duplicate of what it was. The historic French Quarter is largely intact for a reason-- it was built above sea level long before technology allowed a city to be built below sea level. 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.

[Vigilanteman]

Flame away, Freepers. While I do have regrets about taking up bandwidth, I feel it is more important that we at least propose alternatives before we allow us to get steamrolled into rebuilding an environmental, political and social mistake in exactly the same way it was before.

[nmh]

The "logical" conclusion is that it should NOT be rebuilt.

[Recovering Ex-hippie]

Wow. You have put some thought into this. I like your ideas..very creative. But please don't tell Gov Bank-0 about it....they will surely screw it up.

[T Lady]

No flames here. I agree New Orleans should be rebuilt, but done correctly, with a stronger infrastructure and obviously with much better leadership to run the city.

...And while they're at it, they could also use with some real leadership in the Governor's office, too.

[the invisib1e hand]

I say we turn it into a great big reflecting-pool-meditation-garden-memorial-monument-to-world-peace sort of thing. and put some friggin skyscrapers back up in Lower Manhattan.

[Tribune7]

20% of the city is NOT underwater and proved it can stand a direct hit by a category 5 hurricane.

Well, it was a cat 4 hurricane & it wasn't a direct hit.

[2banana]

Rebuild what makes financial and logical sense - maybe a way to change for the better and get rid of much of the corruption...

[plain talk]

I'm not sure where the 80% figure came from. Perhaps the New Orleans city limits? A huge section of Kenner, Harahan and all the West Bank did not flood. That is a huge geographical area. However the entire system is designed for Cat 3. Next time the West Bank could flood if the storm comes up the MS River and the West Bank side of the levees break.

The 17th St. Canal floodwall break was a surprise and had been recently improved on. The only area that predictably floods from Cat 3 and stronger hurricanes is the 9th ward area, St. Bernard and certain pocket areas. Any of the city and surrounding areas is vulnerable to a storm greater than Cat 3.

[jec41]

20% of the city is NOT underwater and proved it can stand a direct hit by a category 5 hurricane.

When did this happen. Better check your facts. NO has never been hit directly by a category 5 hurricane.

[technomage]

20% of the city is NOT underwater and proved it can stand a direct hit by a category 5 hurricane.

Actually the storm was weakening when it hit the coast and was a strong CAT 4. Now, I know to many that is not much of a difference. But, IF New Orleans were to be hit by a CAT 5 hurricane which was strengthening as it hit the coast, there more than likely would be nothing left, including the Superdome, high rises, etc.

As bad as this is, NO really got lucky that the storm was not a CAT 5 and strengthening as it hit, and that the storm veered slightly east, causing the eye to go just east of New Orleans.

This may not sound like much difference, but with storms of this power, it is. If the eye had gone just west of New Orleans, the city would have been within the most powerful quadrant of the storm, the NE quadrant.

[11th_VA]

I say rename it 'New Venice'. Get some gondoliers and turn it into another tourist trap ...

[nmh]

"New Orleans has suffered a profound and tragic loss."

Duh, not a reason to rebuild.

"20% of the city is NOT underwater and proved it can stand a direct hit by a category 5 hurricane. "

80% is - more than 1/2 and the 20$ NOT under water does NOT prove it can stand a direct cat 5 hit. It was a cat 4 that hit.

"As fellow American and fellow humans, we cannot turn our backs on those displaced by the tragedy."

As a compassionate people we should NOT allow this to happen again, hence do NOT rebuild THERE. The city is SINKING. The Mississippi River is claiming more of it each year - that is expected. It's ALL below sea level. It's just a matter of time till it happens again. I wouldn't want anyone to go through this again.

"Even if it were financially practical, it would not necessarily be desireable to rebuild New Orleans in exactly the same way as it was."

It is NOT financially practically and how it was is precisely WHY we should NOT rebuild it. NO cannot withstand hurricanes and between the lake and the river it will happen again.

"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."

That would be the wisest move. It is now a toxic dump site. History of decadence is another reason to plow it under. NO Is NOT vital to our economy. It was vital to the economy of LA but what it contributed was decadence, drugs, drunks and uneducated folks run by poverty pimps and they got away with it for DECADES. It's time to END it and give these folks a chance elsewhere. The oil industry will be fine. Shell claims to be up and running by next Wednesday.

"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 "

All the more reason to NOT rebuilt and get them out of that decadent hell hole.

Your "logic" is illogical and is fueled by emotion. NO is sinking, regardless of the levees working. When they divertied the Mississippi River, each year more of New Orleans is claimed by the Mississippi. It's pointless to rebuild.

[nmh]

None of what this guy makes sense and certainly didn't require much thought.

Been there. Done that. For some "presentation" is everything. For people like me, facts and substance is what counts. This dribble contains neither.

[Dustbunny]

I have a hard time justifying building in a swamp. The area is on the coast and below sea level, common sense and logic says it is a bad idea.

[rottndog]

It doesn't make sense to rebuild almost any of NO. The city is still sinking, just as Venice and Mexico City are. The flooding problems will get worse, not better. At this juncture, it just makes sense to spend money rebuilding only where we won't have to worry about this again.

[Paul_Denton]

I say rebuild it and build it to take a Cat 5. A change in the city's and governor's leadership is called for too. But it should be rebuilt.

[Bommer]

20% of the city is NOT underwater and proved it can stand a direct hit by a category 5 hurricane.

Its wasn't a cat 5 that hit it, it was a cat 3. And the city is sinking at a rate of 3 feet every 100 years. Its only a matter of time. I would dyke up the surrounding downtown and French Quarter as well as the port of N.O. and let nature claim the rest.

[ChadGore]

100 years ago, the people of NO rebuilt everything 10 feet higher.

That hard work payed off this week by saving lives.

We should give the next genration another 10 feet.

[CzarNicky]

Not with my dime. move the people somewhere else. Salvage what is above sea level demolish the rest. End of story.

[southland]

Don't rebuild NO.