New Orleans’ Remarkably (Un)Predictable Recovery

Abstract

In this article, I use New Orleans’ experiences pre- and post-Katrina, as well as information on other cities exposed to shocks, to develop and advance an original explanation for urban resiliency. The explanation suggests that economic origins influence elite commitment to and participation within cities, thereby influencing the city’s ability to redefine itself after experiencing an exogenous shock, whether it be a natural disaster, economic crisis, or any other threat. I show that New Orleans’ economic origins were incompatible with the production of an elite that showed place commitment, which was needed for leadership and resources to recreate the city after Katrina. New Orleans’ development mirrors that of other cities that have proven not to be durable. As a result, the city “came back” from Katrina as a smaller and more socially challenged version of its old self—a city still split by racial inequality. Thus, despite its climb out of the damage caused by Hurricane Katrina and the levee failures, New Orleans is not resilient. I conclude by reiterating the importance of leadership in building resiliency, especially in a place that is more likely than most others to experience a disaster.

A Theoretical Framework for Bolstering Human-Nature Connections and Urban Resilience via Green Infrastructure

“…Informed by the reviews of Parker [14][15][16][17][18] and others [19,20] and the key research over the past decade delivered by Lovell and Taylor [5], Tzoulas et al [7], Mathey et al [8], Norton et al [9], Meerow, Newell and Stults [10], and Burley [12]; a gap is apparent in the existing literature with respect to applying a complementary combination approach to the implementation of the URT and HNCT in urban centers. The novel approach of integrating the application of those two theories posited in this article addresses this gap in the literary discourse and positively contributes to the refocusing and amendment of the unsustainable development many urban centers are currently pursuing.…”

“…Explicitly defining the URT and the HNCT is problematic given the breadth of disciplines those theories transect, meaning that definitions are highly contested in current literature [19][20][21][22]. Both theories move beyond Homo sapiens merely surviving within urban centers, to thriving as humans, communities, and cities in coherence with the surrounds [11].…”

“…In practice, urban resilience relates to the ability of an urban center to withstand and recover in the event of a shock such as a natural disaster, terrorist attack, economic failure, or pandemic [19]. With the ability to recover from a city-scale shock being one measure for the level of urban resilience, Hobor [19] reports that urban resilience was closely linked to the economic history of a city, as recovery and adaption requires significant financial and infrastructure resources. More recently, urban resilience, in the context of community planning and urban development, is becoming increasingly integrated with higher considerations of human health and wellbeing [23].…”

“…A study that provides proof-of-concept for a framework that quantifies and informs the efficacy of POS management with respect to the delivery of quality UGI spaces with limited resources. [19]. 3.…”

Assessment of urban resilience based on the transformation of resource-based cities: a case study of Panzhihua, China

“…In contrast, the Rockefeller Foundation focuses primarily on the urban system components, such as individuals, communities, and institutions; acknowledges the presence of disturbance and describes the intensity and duration with descriptors such as "chronic" and "acute"; and emphasizes the urban systems' ability to adapt, change, and further develop in response to gradual and sudden disturbances. (Holling 1996, Yan et al 2012, urban disaster resilience (Hobor 2015, Koren et al 2017, Rus et al 2018, urban economic resilience (Hill et al 2008, Simmie and Martin 2010, Leichenko 2011, and urban social resilience (Adger 2000, Swalheim andDodman 2008). Urban ecosystem resilience considers the whole city as an ecosystem.…”