Design tackles hard problems in the Big Easy

On Aug. 29, 2005, Hurricane Katrina devastated the Gulf Coast of Louisiana and Mississippi, killing at least 1,300 people and displacing over 1 million more. As disaster relief and clean-up efforts continue, New Urbanist planning, sustainable development and green building practitioners have converged to create a new "perfect storm" in the region.

In the face of the devastation, some say an unprecedented opportunity exists to demonstrate to the rest of the nation the benefits and advantages of healthy, pedestrian-friendly and energy-efficient design.

New Urbanist vision
While arguments continue about whether to rebuild New Orleans at all, New Urbanists have wasted no time planning compact communities with green buildings and public transit for neighboring Mississippi.

Andres Duany, a Miami-based architect and planner known for his anti-sprawl philosophy, is at the forefront of the reconstruction effort. The Congress for New Urbanism (CNU), a Chicago-based coalition of architects, planners, sociologists and other professionals that Duany helped found, stepped in to assist him with rebuilding 11 Gulf Coast towns and cities.

"Disasters catalyze real clarity with people," says Duany. "It’s very unusual that one can work as fast as we did in this country at this moment."

Five weeks after Hurricane Katrina touched down, CNU organized a one-week planning session in Biloxi, Miss. Duany led a group of approximately 125 New Urbanists from across the nation in a weeklong charrette — a collaborative meeting to sketch out planning solutions — with representatives from the devastated locales. Town meetings were planned to review new designs.