ABSTRACT
In the fall of 2005, New Orleans was a ghost of a city. Out of an estimated population of 455,000 residents, 353,000 had been displaced by flooding. For those planning to return, Hurricane Rita's landfall on September 24 gave them pause. In October, the New Orleans City Planning Commission and the American Planning Association's Louisiana Chapter requested American Planning Association send a team of six urban planners to assess the ability of the city to plan for recovery. Before the hurricane, New Orleans had a planning office that was small for a city of its size, and out of a staff of 24 only half were professional positions. Nagin announced his intention to appoint a racially balanced group to plan the city's recovery and declared that New Orleans's rebirth would be led by New Orleanians. Mayor Nagin announced who would serve on the Bring New Orleans Back Commission.
