It Takes a Neighborhood

Five years ago the media was full of articles about the death of New Orleans. Hurricane Katrina, the pundits declared, had proved that the city was unnatural and unsustainable. The mass exodus after the flooding would leave it hobbled at a fraction of its former size, and some even advocated government policies to keep it that way.It was a tempting idea, and one that is in vogue among beleaguered cities, which have let themselves shrink, demolishing damaged houses and abandoning entire neighborhoods. God knows the political and real estate establishment of New Orleans tried to follow the lead of already shrinking cities like Detroit, Buffalo and Youngstown, Ohio.

Full Story