Hard-Hit Areas Face Tough Questions Hurricane’s devastation provides the opportunity to rebuild safer, better communities
The total or near-total devastation across about 90,000 sq miles offers the opportunity to improve communities, agree the experts. But they caution that the path toward rebuilding will be filled with volatile debate and difficult decisions. For New Orleans and other hobbled cities, the entire undertaking, from planning through reconstruction, might take a generation.
"We are looking forward to an outcome that is better than the present," says Andres Duany, a principal of Miami-based planner Duany Plater-Zyberk & Co. From experience with South Floridas Hurricane Andrew, implementation could take about 15 years, he says.