Recovery of the soul: rebuilding planning in post-Katrina New Orleans

Spates of new books and journal articles have attempted to capture the highs and lows of the Hurricane Katrina catastrophe. Some of this work has examined the physical characteristics of New Orleans and asked if the city was built in the wrong place. Is it now time to rectify this accident of geography? Other work has examined New Orleans as a cultural icon where the forces of good and evil have shaped a unique culture that is under threat from the potential of modern rebuilding paradigms that might disturb the crucible from which the rich music and art spring in New Orleans. Some work reflects the real pathos of New Orleans with a seemingly intractable set of social problems coexisting in a fragile environment for the restoration of housing and commerce. All of these emerge from different partially correct prisms from which one can asses this great old city in its time of crisis. But in essence, they miss the real New Orleans, which is often described as the Soul of America (Soul City). It is a city with a magnetic past and a character and charm that is unique. Almost everyone in the world has some form of exposure to New Orleans, through the countless jazz, rhythm and blues, Cajun, and other music that emanates from this cultural capital of the United States. On August 29, 2005 New Orleans suffered from over-exposure. As Hurricane Katrina hit, a new image of New Orleans was broadcast around the world.