Hurricane
Katrina laid bare the devastating consequences of racial and economic inequality
in the United States. Despite decades of tireless work by civil rights
leaders, progressive policymakers, and community advocates, poverty has
endured—fueled by public policy choices and metropolitan development
patterns that have further isolated low-income communities and communities
of color from jobs, transit, decent affordable housing, and educational
opportunities. Katrina left behind not only a changed city, but a changed
nation. The television coverage of the hurricane’s impact on New
Orleans starkly illustrated—to many Americans, for the first time—the
reality of black poverty in this country: children, families, and the elderly
suffering because of decades of neglect, not just days of neglect. 
In the ongoing and overwhelming aftermath of Hurricane Katrina (and now Hurricane Rita), government, business, and philanthropic leaders are making promises for the rebirth of New Orleans and the Gulf Coast region, pledging political reform, and dispensing rebuilding funds at a dizzying pace. The people of the United States responded to the storm’s devastation by dedicating their dollars and volunteer time to the disaster relief effort. Now, as the focus shifts from immediate rescue and assistance needs to the long-term task of rebuilding the physical, economic, and social infrastructure of New Orleans—and the lives of the families and individuals displaced by Katrina—what is critically needed is a vehicle for the American people to send their political will to Washington to demand that the country do something about persistent poverty.
An essential first step to reversing this trend of disparity in metropolitan areas like New Orleans is to heed the lessons of the public and private policy failures that have perpetuated economic and social inequity. The city—and indeed, the entire United States—has an extraordinary opportunity with the rebuilding of New Orleans to model an equitable development approach, learning from the mistakes of history and shaping a new New Orleans. New Orleans needs widely-distributed affordable housing and equitable infrastructure investment; parks spread throughout the city; attractive, modern school buildings successfully serving every neighborhood; and an enhanced transit system to connect all residents to jobs, retail, and education.
Based on the principles of equitable development—the integration of people and place strategies; reduction of local and regional disparities; promotion of "double bottom line" investments; and inclusion of meaningful community voice, participation, and leadership—PolicyLink has crafted Ten Points to Guide Rebuilding in the Gulf Coast Region. As the rebuilding process unfolds over time, and as we continue our research, we will be expanding on these 10 guiding principles, offering examples of promising practices and concrete policy proposals to serve not only as solutions for government, business, and charitable officials, but as equitable development goals for which community leaders and residents can advocate and hold their elected representatives accountable.
Because the Gulf Coast rebuilding effort is dynamic and ongoing—and will require the level and longevity of civic engagement on the scale of a mass economic and social justice movement—we invite policymakers, labor officials, business leaders, researchers, advocates, residents, and all of our colleagues in the regional equity movement to begin this discussion by sharing your feedback on the Ten Points, providing your insights into the challenges and opportunities faced by the Gulf Coast region, or discussing your ideas for specific policy demands in our Advancing Regional Equity online forum at: http://forums.policylink.org.
Together we will share knowledge, build power and political will, and forge a more equitable future for New Orleans, the Gulf Coast, and the nation.