The Rockefeller Foundation - Rebuilding New Orleans

Rebuilding New Orleans

The Rebuilding New Orleans Initiative, which has supported the successful process to develop a Unified New Orleans Plan (UNOP), is in its final phase. Over the next three years (2008-2011), the Foundation will support the implementation of many of the ideas in the UNOP and build thriving and diverse neighborhoods. Read about the Final Phase.

A Milestone: UNOP Approved in June
The Unified New Orleans Plan’s central elements focus on providing enhanced flood protection stabilizing neighborhoods, providing affordable housing, enhancing public services, and providing state-of-the-art education and health care systems in New Orleans.

After a series of successful public reviews last winter, the UNOP was approved by the New Orleans City Council and by the Louisiana Recovery Authority in June 2007, thereby enabling New Orleans to begin accessing millions of dollars in federal funding dedicated to rebuilding.

The Office of Recovery Management, the Downtown Development District and the New Orleans Redevelopment Authority (NORA) are using the UNOP as their primary development guide. In September, the City Planning Commission announced that the UNOP would serve as the foundation for the Master Plan that the city would create.
Read more about UNOP's approval.

Related Projects:
When the Levees Broke and a Teaching Guide
The Foundation provided support for production of the Emmy Award-winning documentary, When the Levees Broke, by the acclaimed director Spike Lee. In addition, partnering with Teachers College, Columbia University, the RF underwrote the development of a multi-disciplinary curriculum and online resource: Teaching the Levees. more

A Hope to Establish Low-Cost New Orleans Housing
October 16, 2007; New Orleans Times-Picayune; excerpt
The Community Revitalization Fund was launched today by the Greater New Orleans Foundation and nine other foundations...Key players include the Rockefeller Foundation and RF Associate Director Carey Shea who helped assemble money and technical expertise...more | Full Article

New Orleans Looks to the Future with Help
August 23, 2007; Chronicle of Philanthropy, By Nicole Wallace
Other foundations have donated more to Gulf Coast recovery efforts than the Rockefeller Foundation has given to date. Yet few, if any, have taken the hands-on approach in this Louisianna city...article

UPDATE:
New Orleans Initiative
September 2007
While progress in redeveloping the city has been slow, and many citizens have yet to return home, the momentum toward the city’s recovery is now gathering speed. Along with the second anniversary of Hurricane Katrina, several major milestones have recently been reached... Open PDF

Katrina's 2nd Anniversary: Reports on Giving & Progress
August 28, 2007

Giving in the Aftermath of the Gulf Coast Hurricanes, published by the Foundation Center, tracks the corporate and foundation contributions for relief, recovery, and rebuilding...New Orleans Index: Tracking Recovery in the Region is a comprehensive, statistically rich evaluation from the Brookings Institution and the New Orleans Community Data Center... more

From the Ground Up
August 23, 2007; NPR broadcast
Carey Shea, head of the Rockefeller Foundation's New Orleans Initiative, and Shawn Escofferey, an urban planner and new Rockefeller fellow, discuss the Foundation's Fellowship Program in New Orleans for urban planners and the efforts to rebuild and revitalize New Orleans. Listen to the NPR broadcast

Blueprint for Rebuilding
August 20, 2007; Chronicle of Philanthropy
People needed to hear from their city, 'Yes, this is the official plan. These are our rebuilding priorities. Here's where we're going to build the first year. Here's where we'll be in year three. Here's where we'll be in year five.' They needed that kind of certainty, and the plan offered that.
--Carey Shea more

Rebuilding in a Time of Global Change
July 26, 2007; By Ed Blakely, POV in NOLA
'The first day of the conference [on Urban Sustainability at Bellagio] brought a wake-up call when Rajendra K. Pachauri, chairman of the International Protocol on Climate Change, used the situation in New Orleans to illustrate the dangers of climate change impacts on cities.' more

Philanthropy Plays Key Role in Rebuilding New Orleans
June 28, 2007; Greater New Orleans Foundation
Carey Shea at the podium

We decided our investments would only make sense if we could meet three goals: we wanted to ensure that all voices were heard; we wanted to have the best urban planners, both from New Orleans itself, and from around the country, take part in the planning process; and we wanted the plan to be completed in a timely fashion. I’m thrilled to say that each of those goals has been met, even surpassed.
--Carey Shea, RF's New Orleans point person more | GNOF

LRA Approves New Orleans Recovery Plan
June 25, 2007, The New Orleans Times-Picayune
In presenting the New Orleans Strategic Recovery and Redevelopment Plan, city recovery czar Ed Blakely said he plans to get a bank to advance the money to the city so officials can access it immediately...LRA members, who insisted that New Orleans create a plan covering the entire city, not just flooded neighborhoods, lauded city officials for presenting a comprehensive document...more

RF Funds Redevelopment Fellowships Through U. Penn
June 18, 2007, Press release
The Rockefeller Foundation announced today a $2.2 million grant to fund a series of fellowships to advance the redevelopment process in New Orleans. The fellowships will be administered by the Center for Urban Redevelopment Excellence at the University of Pennsylvania and will enable key redevelopment organizations in New Orleans to recruit talented urban redevelopment professionals... more

Further Grants to New Orleans
April 24, 2007; press release
The New Orleans Office of Recovery Management has received $1.54m from the Rockefeller Foundation, the Ford Foundation and the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation to further integrate recommendations from UNOP and other planning initiatives into the recovery activities of city agencies. more

Removing Obstacles to Gulf Coast Recovery:
Ed Blakely's Statement to Homeland Security
April 12, 2007
We based our strategy on five principles that have been embraced by the public: 1. Continue the healing and consultation; 2. Insure safety and security in all neighborhoods; 3. Build 21st and 22nd century infrastructure; 4. Diversify the economy; 5. Design a sustainable settlement pattern. more

From the Executive Director of Recovery Management...
March 6, 2007
The UNOP plan grew out of the desire for active citizens to bring together the many projects, programs and plans that had been created in connection to the redevelopment into a unified strategy...
--Dr. Edward J. Blakely more

Community Congress Participants Support UNOP Plan
January 2007

From left: N.O. citizen votes electronically; Chairman of UNOP's Community Support Organization, Dr. Vera Triplett addresses all venues electronically; New Orleanians consider options

Nearly 1,300 New Orleanians participated in the Unified New Orleans Plan’s (UNOP) final citywide town hall meeting to review recommendations for rebuilding the city. Citizens attended simultaneous gatherings in Atlanta, Dallas, Houston and New Orleans, which were e-linked together. more

New Orleans: Planning for a Better Future
September 2006
Within days of Katrina, the Foundation made more than $3 million in commitments aimed at the rebuilding of New Orleans. The grants were made to proven community-development and housing intermediaries that were pursuing strategies for housing and businesses. RF white paper.

The Unified New Orleans Plan...
is the single, comprehensive recovery and rebuilding plan for the City of New Orleans, implemented under the auspices of the New Orleans Community Support Foundation, a public/private entity, and funded by The Rockefeller Foundation andthe Greater New Orleans Foundation. more

RF Provides Funds to Accelerate Recovery Planning
April 20, 2006; press release
The development of the plan will be managed cooperatively through the Community Fund Support Organization of the Greater New Orleans Foundation and will bring together local, state and community stakeholders. more

RF Commits $3 Million in Response to Hurricane Katrina
September 8, 2005; press release
In Response to Hurricane Katrina, the Rockefeller Foundation will provide financial support totaling $3 million to leading nonprofit organizations working to address both immediate human services needs and the longer-term rebuilding of housing and economic development infrastructure in New Orleans and the region. more

The Rebuilding New Orleans Team leader is
Nick Turner; Bio
Email the team: rebuilding_no@rockfound.org

News

Newsbeat: Fellows Rockefeller
New Orleans Magazine; 11/01/07

Foundation's Fellows Eager to Help City; Young professionals asked for fresh ideas
New Orleans Times Picayune; 09/15/07

Council approves funds for Blakely; But there are rules on how money is used
New Orleans Times Picayune; 09/07/07

N.O. to Test Solar Power This Summer
New Orleans CityBusiness; 08/01/07

Nagin Meets FEMA Deadline
New Orleans Times Picayune; 07/31/07

Blakely Has Grand Plan to 'Trigger' Rebuilding
New Orleans CityBusiness; 07/25/07

LRA Approves New Orleans Recovery Plan
New Orleans Times Picayune; 06/25/07

UNOP Citywide Plan Wins Approval
New Orleans Times Picayune; 06/14/07

New $47 Million Loan Fund Launched to Aid Housing Recovery in Louisiana
press release; 04/25/07

Grants to Boost Recovery Agency
New Orleans Times Picayune; 04/25/07