not everything’s in the French Quarter
I obviously haven’t seen everything being written about the reconstruction (or, gasp, “urban renewal”) of New Orleans, but I know I haven’t read a single word about who actually owns all those unique, traditional/vernacular style houses we’ve seen throughout the flooded older, poorer neighborhoods. I suspect they are mostly owner-occupied or rented from people who live in the neighborhood.
I certainly don’t think Halliburton or the developers own them – yet. Why are we talking about these neighborhoods as if their ownership had evaporated, as if the governments which failed them can now decide their disposition in a vacuum?
[image of two shotgun houses from Ingolf Vogeler]