New Orleans lost about half its population in 2005 as a result of the devastation wrought by Hurricanes Katrina and Rita, and the failure of the levees built to protect the city from flooding. As of the 2010 census, the population had recovered to 75 percent of its pre-Katrina level. Most of us know of the tragic failure of multiple levels of government to respond adequately to the disaster, compounding the losses caused by nature and the failure of engineering. But, as David Simon noted in an interview reported in Part One of this three-part blog series, the city's resilient population has been slowly but surely coming back anyway, in no small part because of the strong sense of belonging that New Orleanians feel for their community. - #cryptic from FFHound(roid)!

One of the ways in which this has been manifested is in the rebuilding and re-inhabiting of severely damaged homes. To say the least, this has not been a large-scale and highly coordinated effort, and certainly not a quick one. But it is perhaps even more impressive that it has been happening in small increments, a house at a time, occasionally an enclave at a time, because of determined residents, often with the assistance of grassroots charities and volunteers. I want to stress the "grassroots" part of this: the more locally based the effort, the more likely the product will be true to the character of the city and the people who make it special. One of the local organizations that has stepped up big-time is the Preservation Resource Center, a longstanding group whose mission is to promote the preservation, restoration, and revitalization of New Orleans's historic architecture and neighborhoods. The PRC's web site asserts that, "in post-Katrina New Orleans, it is particularly crucial that we rebuild in a way that is sensitive to our past, or we risk losing everything that makes our city unique." That rings true for me. The PRC says that, since Katrina, it has assisted over 5,000 families in saving their homes and brought over 100 low-income families back to their homes. - #cryptic from FFHound(roid)!

Operation Comeback has been active in the neighborhoods hit hard by flood damage. For example, one of the program's newer efforts, Preserving Green, is structured to acquire and restore blighted properties utilizing the highest preservation standards while integrating both passive and active sustainable design elements. I would argue that in most cases preserving and restoring historic neighborhoods is inherently green, given the ability to recycle land, infrastructure, and materials, usually in the heart of a region. But Preserving Green goes further. From the web site: Preserving Green projects are designed to maintain a building's historic integrity and sense of place while achieving the highest possible comfort levels and energy performance. Within the still-recovering Lower Ninth Ward, a reconstructed "camelback"-style storefront at 5200 Dauphine Street will serve as the new home of the Holy Cross Neighborhood Association and the Lower 9 Center for Sustainable Engagement and Development. The deteriorated condition of the building called for crews to completely dismantle all structural and interior components including doors and windows. Those salvaged materials are being reused, along with new thermal insulation, photovoltaics, solar water heating, onsite water collection and other environmentally-responsible systems to recreate this historic property as a LEED Platinum building. - #cryptic from FFHound(roid)!

Although Hurricane Katrina made damages to New Orleans, this is a great way to start going Green and setting examples for other cities. - AAA Windows 4 Less