Planning Expert Discusses New Orleans in Aftermath of Hurricane Katrina
March 18, 2009
Contact:
Jennifer Hutchins
USM Muskie School
(207) 780-4150 (o), (207) 776-5378 (c)
Portland, ME—The former director of planning for the City of New Orleans, Kristina Ford, will speak on Thursday, April 9, 2009, at 7:00 PM at the USM Muskie School of Public Service. Her talk, "New Orleans: Rebuilding an American City," will be accompanied by a photo exhibit by Bowdoin College Professor Michael Kolster. The event, which is free and open to the public, will be held in USM's Wishcamper Center, Portland.
"Katrina uncovered new problems for New Orleans that would be no different from any other city in a similar situation," said Ford, a distinguished visiting professor at the Muskie School. "This unparalleled experience provides us a very important and unique opportunity to learn from their efforts to rebuild."
Ford is one of America's best-known urban planning practitioners, scholars, and writers. In the immediate aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, Ford's assessments were sought by and heard on CNN, BBC and National Public Radio. She became the first public voice to mediate the storm's human and civic consequences to America and beyond.
From 1992 to 2000 Ford was the director of city planning in New Orleans, for which she won the American Planning Association's Award for Distinguished Leadership. She has written extensively on urban affairs and is a frequent lecturer on municipal planning. Ford holds a Ph.D. in urban and regional planning from the University of Michigan.
Michael Kolster, an assistant professor of art at Bowdoin College, has been documenting the redevelopment of New Orleans by re-photographing the same locations over time. His black and white photographs, often presented as triptychs or multiple images, record the city's ongoing changes. Kolster has exhibited his work throughout New England, the U.S. and internationally, and is a graduate of Williams College and the Massachusetts College of Art.
The University of Southern Maine (USM) offers its 10,000 plus students more than 115 areas of undergraduate and graduate study. USM's location in southern Maine, a region cited as one of the most liveable in the country, offers a range of educational, cultural and recreational opportunities.
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