VANITY - Rebuild New Orleans as the City of Tomorrow!

Self

[Puddleglum]

Heck, if the government really is going to spend $200 billion to rebuild New Orleans, they might as well rebuild it as the city of tomorrrow complete with kelp farms, electricity generated by tides, public transportation light as a cloud and efficient and almost noiseless, parks that are nice and safe and clean. It could be a proof-of-concept city for all those innovations you see in the middle of "Popular Science" that are always "just around the corner." I draw the line at dog-walking robots and the bubble dome (for now), but you get my drift, I suppose.

Well, I am half-joking and half serious. I know if I had $200 billion to rebuild a city, I would try a few new things out, especially in regards to noise pollution, light pollution, energy efficiency, and urban design (proximity of neighborhoods to work, etc).

Any takers? Anything you'd like to see?

[Puddleglum]

That's not a bad idea. But the first priority is cleaning up and housing people, most of whom have nothing right now.

That's very true, and lots of good people are helping to do just that -- outside of NO. But the question remains: if the gov and private sector are going to rebuild the city, ought it simply be returned status quo? If not, why not try some innovations?

[martin_fierro]

As much as I'd like one, can you imagine the chaos if the terrible drivers that are currently earthbound got turned loose in the wild blue yonder?

Testify.

A lot of people have a hard enough time navigating in TWO dimensions, let alone THREE.

[Constitution Day]

The FAA would have a hell of a budget!

How was your vacation?

[rjp2005]

Well, if the roof of your house is missing, you dont spend your money upgrading the kitchen.

If anything, a "city of yesterday" (more agricultural land) would be more appropriate, and Katrina already has taken care of starting that. Areas will be abandoned and perhaps farmers (high-tech or not) will take advantage of the dirt cheap land.

I like your idea but perhaps it combines both elements yesterday and today. In other words, a much smaller city area, more elevated and protected, and a much larger plowed over farmland/floodable zone encouraging kelp farms or those things you suggested.

[GOPJ]

Yep - inches per year.

Does that matter?

[muawiyah]

The "Crescent" isn't sinking. Apparantly there's a rocky outcrop down there that keeps it suspended above sea-level. However, the Mississippi River has accumulated enough silt in its bed that it has risen higher than the Crescent ~ hence, the need for massive levees along the river.

Everything else down there is sinking.

[GOPJ]

The "Crescent" isn't sinking. Apparantly there's a rocky outcrop down there that keeps it suspended above sea-level. However, the Mississippi River has accumulated enough silt in its bed that it has risen higher than the Crescent ~ hence, the need for massive levees along the river.

Thanks -- interesting.