Washington, DC, November 10, 2005--If the Gulf Coast rebuilding effort is to succeed, federal and local stakeholders will need to create a more transparent and coordinated process. This was one of the major ideas discussed at a panel on Tuesday entitled "Rebuilding the Gulf Coast: What Lies Ahead?"
The event, sponsored by RTKL--one of the largest architecture and urban planning firms in the world--featured presentations by Paris Rutherford, Director of RTKL's Urban Design Practice, Peter Brink, Vice President for Programs at the National Trust for Historic Preservation, Saroj Jha, Senior Infrastructure Specialist at the World Bank, and Sara Galvan, Managing Editor of The Next American City.
Rutherford noted that the region's image, especially that of the city of New Orleans, has suffered from widespread publicity of looting and poverty. He urged the region to shift these perceptions and attract investment by establishing a level and transparent playing field for the allocation of funds.
"In the past, the private sector has seen the Gulf Coast as an unpredictable region," added Rutherford. "As we look to rebuild on a large scale, this stereotype needs to be disproved. To succeed in the short- and long-term, the region needs strong leadership and transparent finances."
Tremendous Opportunity
"American cities are first and foremost places of opportunity and promise," said Sara Galvan of The Next American City. "We need to try to uphold this promise and enable people who have a real stake in the region to be involved. At the same time, we need to be cautious of planning hubris. There is some value in organic growth."
Rutherford noted that Katrina questioned the traditional underpinnings of life in the Gulf Coast communities. "This provides a time to reflect on the region's strength in the New Economy."
Peter Brink of the National Trust for Historic Preservation emphasized the importance of factoring the region's historic roots into redevelopment plans. "Addressing human needs is paramount," he said, "But we must not compound human tragedy by allowing a cultural tragedy."
A Roadmap
To position the Gulf Coast within the global marketplace, the region should strive to attract New Economy investment. Rutherford cautioned against using gambling and tourism to rebuild the economy, pointing to Reno, NV and Atlantic City, NJ as challenged cities that took that approach.
Among the panel's other key observations:
Infrastructure - Brink noted that "oftentimes when surveying damaged areas, the first impulse is to plow facilities to the ground and start over." He cautioned that this isn't the right approach, citing that $1 million spent rehabilitating buildings holds more value than the same $1 million dedicated to new construction. The rehabilitation process lends itself more to the community, where local workers tend to be employed and the labor-intensive nature of the restorative work provides an increased "skill bank" for the local labor pool. Saroj Jha, of The World Bank, said that the use of local skills and resources in other post-disaster rebuilding projects have helped to revive the local economy, besides physical infrastructure reconstruction.
Recalibrate the Regulations - The region must align their economic development policies with a market based strategy that balances jobs and housing to create a fiscally sound future. According to Galvan, this might include the rewriting of building codes, better design in affordable housing and the creative use of old concepts like usufruct, where the city is allowed to assume temporary ownership of a residence to fix it up and lease it out.
A Knowledge-based Economy - "The establishment of a creative class economy will foster increased employment and economic viability" Rutherford cited.
