Final exam Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words - 1

Final exam - Essay Example This is because when newcomers arrive, as aforementioned, many changes take place that negatively affect majority of the original residents of the area. However, for the newcomers, this is a new chance at getting cheaper and better services than they previously exposed. Gentrification was not all bad in New Orleans. This is because the newcomers brought with them a lot of knowledge and expertise that was useful in the reconstruction and recovery of New Orleans after the hurricane Katrina. Most of them helped in developing the area, thus boosting the economic situation of the area. The newcomers took up different roles in New Orleans ranging from education, entertainment and media as well as entrepreneurship. Public Housing as a hard struggle The public housing program in New Orleans was created in 1937 and sought to improve the lives of working class and the poor in the society. However, this program was impeded by institutional racism (Arena 100). To illustrate this is the racial se gregation of different projects in the public housing projects, neglect of the blacks’ project as well as the eventual demolition of such projects. The most controversial attacks that marred this housing project occurred when tenants were padlocked. Most of these tenants were poor and black. The housing projects favored the white citizens who were given first priority. In fact, it was not until 1996 that a single black man was allowed to represent others in the housing authority of New Orleans, HANO. HANO further decided that some part of the land be sold to HRI, which subsequently sold to Wal-Mart. The latter was a private development group in the land. This raised a lot of negative reaction and criticism, especially from the progressive urban planners, white activists, and conservationists. In the end, privatization emerged and most public projects ceased to exist. Hurricane Katrina and Corporate Development Hurricane Katrina has gained its infamous popularity in the world from its destructive and devastating nature in different states; New Orleans included (Arena 90). It caused a lot of havoc in the state, submerging about eighty percent of New Orleans, thus destroying homes and infrastructure. In general, hurricane Katrina tops the list of the most costly natural disasters in the United States of America. With these destructions, the economic stability of New Orleans was interrupted, a fact that saw dire need for reconstruction in order to bring back its previous stature. Many developers, entrepreneurs, and politicians came together for this purpose. Economic instability is attributed to the adverse effects of hurricane Katrina. The first reason why this is so is the poor response to a disaster as well as inadequate disaster management strategies in the city. This, coupled with the shortages of Federal Emergency Management Agency, FEMA, led to the need for a localized approach to handling such calamities. New Orleans’ leaders, together with t he local government were forced to take up the task of mitigating the effects of hurricane Katrina, as well as other natural calamities (Arena 67). This occurred in all senses, from emotional to financial support. Before hurricane Katrina, high unemployment issues characterized the city of New Orleans, and those who were lucky enough to get jobs were paid low wages. This was