ABSTRACT
In September 2005, Hurricane Katrina caught the attention of Ed Blakely, even though he was half a world away from New Orleans. The chair of the Department of Urban and Regional Planning at the University of Sydney, Australia, Blakely was particularly interested in sustainable urban development and disaster recovery. On June 25, New Orleans presented its plans at the Louisiana Recovery Authority board meeting in the state capitol building in Baton Rouge. The regional plan was to be followed by a more detailed strategic implementation plan in July 2007. Although the plan lacked specific funding mechanisms for projects, some initiatives were given priority by state officials. These included a stronger Office of State Planning, a high-speed public transit link between New Orleans and Baton Rouge, trust funds for wetland conservation easements, incentives for urban reinvestment, and altered zoning laws to facilitate infill.
