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May 23, 2007, New Orleans Times-Picayune
By Bruce Eggler
Excerpts
Nearly 21 months after Hurricane Katrina devastated New Orleans, the City Planning Commission voted Tuesday to adopt the "citywide strategic recovery and rebuilding plan" developed by the United New Orleans Plan...the Planning Commission voted 7-0 to approve the document and send it to the City Council for further consideration.
...In asking the commission to approve the plan, Executive Director Yolanda Rodriguez said it "provides a strategic framework for rebuilding," even though she said many of its elements need further refining.
The commission agreed also to accept 13 district plans prepared as part of the Unified New Orleans Plan process. Rodriguez said those plans "will be a tremendous tool" as the commission works on completing a citywide master plan and revising the city's antiquated comprehensive zoning ordinance.
...In accepting the citywide and district plans, the commission endorsed its staff's position that the acceptance "should not be taken as a blanket endorsement of every recommendation" in them and that "any recommendations or projects that require zoning approvals or waivers will be required to follow the established procedures for such a change."
...In approving the plan, the commission also endorsed a nine-point "short-term action program" that lays out follow-up actions to be taken in the next seven months, starting with adoption of a "recovery ordinance" that would formally approve Blakely's list of target recovery areas...
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© 2007 The Times Picayune. ©2006 New OrleansNet LLC. All Rights Reserved
Blakely Spoke on N.O. With Knowledge, Passion
May 23, 2007, New Orleans Times-Picayune
Letter to the editor
I am writing to set the record straight on Dr. Edward Blakely's guest lecture at Johns Hopkins University last week.
Dr. Blakely was invited to discuss his work in New Orleans as part of our [Johns Hopkins University] "Rebuilding America's Cities" lecture series. Dr. Blakely's speech was truly extraordinary.
He spoke for more than an hour, providing substantial details about the nature and extent of the devastation, the rebuilding plans and the administrative, political and organizational challenges in New Orleans and Louisiana to bringing the plan to fruition. He discussed the steps being taken to meet these challenges and the financing required.
What was as impressive as his great mastery of the subject was his passion. I can't imagine that anyone in the audience could doubt for one second how deeply Dr. Blakely cares about New Orleans -- both the city and its people.
In fact, one of the most spellbinding moments of the 70-minute talk was at the very end. He stepped back from the podium, then forward again, and in a tremulous voice that strongly suggested he was near tears, he made a statement to the effect that America must do whatever it takes to bring New Orleans back and to care for its population because that is what America is all about. The applause lasted for at least three minutes.
Witnessing Dr. Blakely's combination of impressive expertise and deep, heartfelt passion was simply spellbinding.
The city of New Orleans and, indeed, all of us are fortunate that Dr. Blakely is focusing his energy on the New Orleans recovery.
Sandra J. Newman
Director
Institute for Policy Studies
Johns Hopkins University
Baltimore
© 2007 The Times Picayune. ©2006 New OrleansNet LLC. All Rights Reserved
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