LU MEWS Se 2007 Turning the Tide After Katrina HUD GRANT ENABLES CAUP FACUL CCAUP students touring Jofferson Parish, LA AND STUDENTS As Jefferson Parish, La, continues 10 recover from the destruction wrought by Hurricane Katrina in 2005, some of the rebuilding efforts will bear the indelible mark of CAUP students and faculty. In January, an intercisciplinary team of 28 students enrolled in afield stucio visited part of ‘the New Orleans suburban area of 450,000 to begin producing recommendations that wall help ‘guide federal decisions on funding revitalization projects. The studio and related CAUP efforts are being funded by @ $300,000 federal grant, one of just seven awarded nationwide under the HUD Universities Rebuilding America Partnership program, "Wa are leaming to compromse, to listen, ‘and work together as a group to create an even stronger design than we could have created on ‘our own,” said Archi- tecture graduate student Chesea Gorkiewiez. “Ifecl that this is more representa. tive of design in the real world, where no single discipline exéts to the exclusion of others.” Faculty members from three CAUP departments are leading the studi: Alex Anderson, associate professor of architec ture; Frank Westerlund, associate pro‘essor of urban design and planning: and Daniel Winterbottom, associate proiessor of landscape architecture. “Daniel, Frank, and | always meet with the students together so tet we can share expertise as we consult,” says Anderson, “tt has been fascinating to see how effectively cur spacializar ‘tons overiap. Working collaboratively, Winterbottom says, requires the students to corsider more complex concems. "Having three disciplines working together necessitates more dialogue, but because of that the students betier understand the impacts of their decisions and the competing interests they must address.” CCAUP is assisting with planning for two portions of the parish, according to Hilde Blenco,, > HELP PLAN QUISIANA PA TALIZATION ISH'S REV chair of the Department of Urban Design and Planning and co-principalrwestigator with Fritz Wagner, research professor of urban design and planning ard acting char of Landscape Architec- ‘ure, for the HUD rant. “The current studio is preparing an overall area plan ari specific recommendations for site in the Terryiown area, including land use, zoning, housing tyroogias, ‘open space, commercial improvements, drainage, ‘anid transportation as well as administrative and financal recommendations,” says Blanco. A similar process will ccur next acacemic year for another site Teaching assistant Cric Noll (MUP “04), an Urban Planning doctoral student, says the frst morning of the trip made it deer how ertical their ‘work willbe. "We met with HUD offica, the parish planning staf, and the president of the local community association.” Noll recalls. "Each presented their views and gave a personal account of their connection to the neighborhood, Because ‘they opened up, we understood what was at stake nthe community.” Adds Westetlund, “Among studas, this one is exceptional in adcressing a problem related to ‘an event of truly national scope and importance * Athough direct siorm darnage was tiryted within the study area, economic and social problems sparked by Katrina persist. During the site visit, the group conducted a community-wide pubic meeting, Anderson reriembers one resident who ‘came to the community meeting very angry ‘2bout tough issues in her neighborhood. "By the end of the meeting, after talking about a lot of issues, she left in sriles. Another participant told his student group it was the first time he came to ‘a community meeting with hope that issues could be addressed.” =