City plans new course in wake of hurricane

AS officials put together a blueprint for New Orleans’ rebirth, a commission appointed by Mayor Ray Nagin is expected to recommend that residents be given the power to decide what shape their neighbourhoods should take.

The Bring New Orleans Back Commission hopes to form a clearer picture of what areas would be rebuilt by the end of the year.

Its recommendations, which could become part of the master rebuilding plan, will likely draw fire from urban planners, who say many sections of the city are not safe from future flooding after the devastation caused by last year’s Hurricane Katrina.