Tuesday, September 13, 2005
Whither now New Orleans
Katrina isn't a mortal blow, but New Orleans just does not have the resources that a Manhattan does, so it's recovery will not be as robust. Had not realized that the city had lost 1/3 of its population over the past ~30 years or that its poverty rate was the highest of any major city besides Detroit.
Will the underclass return? What's there to come back to? No house? No job prospects. What future is there to be had in a dead end job & life? Will Desire or St. Bernard or St. Thomas housing projects be rebuilt?
Hopefully the areas near Lake Borgne will return to wetlands & the drainage canals will all have hydraulically controlled locks that can seal during hurricanes after they rebuild.
My prediction is that New Orleans will lose another 75,000 occupants & decrease in size below 400,000, but the metro area will stay larger than 1 million.
When growing up, there was always an insecurity compared to Atlanta or Houston. Not sure if that's as pronounced now. Clearly Atlanta & Houston have surpassed New Orleans in size & power & money for the foreseeable future, but at what a cost. Both those cities are your classic gaining the world & losing your soul.
Will the underclass return? What's there to come back to? No house? No job prospects. What future is there to be had in a dead end job & life? Will Desire or St. Bernard or St. Thomas housing projects be rebuilt?
Hopefully the areas near Lake Borgne will return to wetlands & the drainage canals will all have hydraulically controlled locks that can seal during hurricanes after they rebuild.
My prediction is that New Orleans will lose another 75,000 occupants & decrease in size below 400,000, but the metro area will stay larger than 1 million.
When growing up, there was always an insecurity compared to Atlanta or Houston. Not sure if that's as pronounced now. Clearly Atlanta & Houston have surpassed New Orleans in size & power & money for the foreseeable future, but at what a cost. Both those cities are your classic gaining the world & losing your soul.
