Moving Beyond Recovery to Restoration and Rebirth: Urban Land Institute Makes Recommendations on Rebuilding New Orleans

For more information, contact Trisha Riggs at 202/624-7086 or E-mail: priggs@uli.org

NEW ORLEANS (November 18, 2005) — The rebuilding of New Orleans should occur through a phased process that accommodates the immediate needs of its downsized population, and which poises the city for future growth as it evolves from recovery to restoration, reform and rebirth, according to a panel of land use experts representing the Urban Land Institute (ULI).

In a public forum held today, the panel presented detailed rebuilding recommendations to the Bring New Orleans Back Commission, including specifics on economic development and culture; government effectiveness; and planning, including infrastructure, housing and urban planning and design. The presentation capped a week-long visit during which more than 50 ULI members, all specialists in urban and post-disaster development, toured the city, held a public forum drawing more than 300 people, and interviewed more than 150 citizens representing a broad range of interests, including business, civic, political, cultural, utility, healthcare and education representatives and community activists. Prior to the panel's visit, ULI spent more than a month making repeated visits to the city to gather citizens' input and collect research.

"We were not here for the storm and the floods. You were. Only you can understand the devastation - both physical and spiritual," said panel chairman Smedes York, president of York Properties, Inc., in Raleigh, N.C. "Our role is to help with the physical and economic rebuilding of the city, to help you to look to the future."

York prefaced the panel's presentations by pointing out that the city is much smaller (having lost 300,000 residents and 160,000 jobs), and that it will take time for people to come back. Moreover, he said, there are areas of the city that the panel believes should not be developed at this time.

"New Orleans is a national and international treasure. The culture of the city must be retained and enhanced, including historic preservation, music, art, food, faith, architecture and the strong sense of community," York said. Although the city's efforts to move forward are "commendable," York said the rebuilding effort "needs to be more extensive and move rapidly."

The recurring message throughout the presentation: focus on making New Orleans a more livable and equitable city capable of both luring back displaced residents and attracting new ones.

The panel highlighted several actions and observations it considers essential to spur rebuilding and ensure the city's long-term viability, including:

• The establishment of a temporary financial oversight board to ensure fairness and equity in obtaining federal funding (with members representing the federal, state and local governments);
• The establishment of a rebuilding corporation—the Crescent City Rebuilding Corporation—to expedite reconstruction of both residential and commercial properties;
• The recognition that every citizen has a right to return to a safe city (with enhanced levees and ecosystem restoration playing a key role in ensuring future safety);
• The adoption of clear criteria for neighborhood restoration and development, with an emphasis on the inclusion of residents in the planning and restoration;
• The acceptance that diversity, equity and cooperation are keys to rebuilding;
• The need for diverse economic development that results in the creation of a broader range of jobs providing a broader salary range (the panel also endorsed a requirement for a livable wage);
• The recognition of the influence of the faith-based community in maintaining the recovery's momentum;
• The need for tax reform and incentives to build up the city's tax base and encourage private investment; and
• The need for a regional approach on such critical issues as levees, transportation systems, emergency response and economic development.

The panelists pointed to the vast potential of the rebuilding process as a source of short-term and long-term economic growth for the city. "A great opportunity will be lost if steps are not taken immediately to ensure that as much of the new economic activity as possible directly benefits city residents and local businesses," said panel member Patrick Phillips, president of Economics Research Associates in Washington, D.C.

In terms of immediate economic development actions, the panel recommended giving top priority to local, small and minority businesses for rebuilding work, and the creation of job-linked training and workforce development. Longer-range plans should include building on various segments of the city's economy, starting with its rich music and dining industries, its port, healthcare and higher educational sectors, and expanding into other areas such as bioscience and retirement living.

Regarding government effectiveness, the panelists provided details on the structure and responsibilities of the entities that it feels must be created to ensure a smooth, equitable flow of the funding—mainly federal funding—that is needed to rebuild infrastructure; handle land assembly and disposition; repair, renovate and develop; support small businesses; restore medical and port facilities; and provide environmental remediation.

The creation of a temporary financial oversight board would enable the city to avoid bankruptcy, the panelists said, noting that this step has occurred in other cities during times of financial distress. Such a board would oversee and approve the city's budget, approve major contracts, and recommend financing options for redevelopment, the panelists said.

Among the responsibilities of the Crescent City Rebuilding Corporation: buying homes and property; purchasing and restructuring mortgages; financing redevelopment; land banking; bond issuance; neighborhood planning assistance; and fostering the creation of community development corporations.

"New local government entities are necessary so that federal funds will be deployed effectively, with cooperation among different levels of government, and in a way that inspires the confidence of citizens, businesses, private capital - and indeed, all Americans - in the future of a rejuvenated New Orleans," said panelist Carl Weisbrod, president of the real estate division of Trinity Church in New York City.

Regarding housing, the panelists based their recommendations on the premise that New Orleans' property owners and renters are entitled to fair compensation and equitable redevelopment opportunities that provide sufficient resources to rebuild in place or relocate to developable areas.

Among its "urgent" housing action recommendations:

• Assess the existing housing stock;
• Activate the Crescent City Rebuilding Corporation;
• Provide temporary housing;
• Repopulate suitable public housing;
• Design guidelines and technical assistance for property owners;
• Extend the mortgage forbearance period; and
• Provide financial support, both equity and debt, for homeowners impacted by Hurricane Katrina to enable their right to return.

The panelists noted a pressing need for the immediate production of workforce housing, pointing to its direct connection to the economic recovery of New Orleans businesses. Moreover, panelists said such housing must become more integrated into the city's neighborhoods. "In contrast to the past practice of isolating, concentrating and stigmatizing poor and modest income families in public housing or other rent subsidized enclaves, New Orleans neighborhoods must be more inclusive," said panelist Tony Salazar, president of the west coast division of McCormack Baron Salazar in Los Angeles.

The panelists recommended that affordable units be dispersed throughout the neighborhoods, indistinguishable from other properties and connected to neighborhood amenities. In addition, the panelists discussed interim housing issues, including the need for an ample supply of site locations, design issues, and the need to foster greater community acceptance through constant consultation and a dismantling schedule.

In the area of urban planning, the city's "remarkable urban pattern is the foundation for the future New Orleans, reflected by strong neighborhoods, historical architecture, boulevards, and a close-knit pattern of housing, institutions, shops and workplaces," said panelist William Gilchrist, director of the department of planning, engineering and permits for Birmingham, Ala. As New Orleans charts a course for its future, the panelists suggested several principles for framing its rebuilding decisions:

• Plans should be faithful to what makes New Orleans unique, in terms of its rich culture, history, and "old urbanist" neighborhood design. "The true heart of the city beats in all its neighborhoods, which display a character that is authentic and home-grown," said panelist Fernando Costa, planning director for Fort Worth, Texas.
• Natural and engineered solutions must be balanced to meet infrastructure needs. "As New Orleans designs and strengthens its flood protection, its engineered system (levees, sea walls, drainage canals and pumping stations) can be supplemented by restoring natural areas within the city and building in concert with its topography," said panelist Joseph Brown, chairman and chief executive officer of EDAW, Inc., in San Francisco.
• Recovery must be equitable, sustainable and mobilize as many citizens as possible. Panelists noted that the reconstruction process needs to be phased, beginning with the areas that are safe, and which offer the best opportunities for restoration and development. Areas of the city that were severely damaged will require more time for decisions regarding restoration, and these decisions must be made in a transparent and fair process, they said.

Regarding infrastructure, the panelists advised that development proceed immediately, and be categorized by emergency, interim and long-term stages. Among the recommendations:

• Sustainable development principles should guide infrastructure planning, design and construction;
• Phase infrastructure improvements by assigning priorities to geographic areas most environmentally suitable for development and to critical economic development sectors;
• Rebuild a reliable and safe regional levee system and restore coastal wetlands;
• Develop and improve a local and regional transportation system that connects neighborhoods and facilitates evacuation;
• Establish a centralized regional infrastructure planning process; and
• Coordinate local land use and infrastructure planning and decision-making.

In conclusion, panel chair York pointed out that while the panel's charge was to craft recommendations on a rebuilding strategy, the decisions on moving forward can only be made by the citizens of New Orleans. Despite Hurricane Katrina's vast devastation, the storm "crystallized a chance to write a new chapter in the book" of the city's history, he said. "This new chapter must be written by the people of New Orleans. We are confident that your resilient spirit will prevail."

The Urban Land Institute (www.uli.org) is a nonprofit education and research institute supported by its members. Its mission is to provide responsible leadership in the use of land in order to enhance the total environment. Each year, the Institute honors an extraordinary community builder through the Urban Land Institute J.C. Nichols Prize for Visionaries in Urban Development. Established in 1936, the Institute has more than 28,000 members representing all aspects of land use.

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ULI Advisory Services Panel Presentation (PPT)