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Dutch Dialogue Podcast from the American Planning Association
The American Planning Association has uploaded a series of podcasts and a short video that reflect upon the state of New Orleans at the fifth anniversary of Hurricane Katrina. In one recording, David Waggonner and Dale Morris, organizers of the Dutch Dialogues conferences, discuss the motivations behind the conferences and visions of the city going forward. David Waggonner concludes the conversation with the following remarks:
“I think New Orleans is in a process of adaptation. The changes we need to make are fundamental. But I believe they’re conceivable and I believe they’re achievable in time. I hope that we can learn from the past, that we can have some sort of ecological and communal memory of what’s happened and that we can learn from these events. I hope we can accept the fact that we’re part of this earth. I believe that New Orleans has to be rebalanced. I think that if it is rebalanced, if its place at the bottom of this American watershed is reinforced, if the vitality of the river is appreciated, then we have in urban design terms an achievable challenge. Where we no longer waste soil and ignore water, but start to say these are the most valuable things. And from that rebalancing this culture can grow back with new strength. I do hope that is the future for New Orleans.”
Listen to the full podcast and find additional Katrina Anniversary commentary from the APA here.
