Awareness

History and Culture of New Orleans

To better understand the unique issues and challenges that face the city of New Orleans, it is first imperative to understand the history of the city and its culture. For a discussion on New Orleans’ history of diversity, see this article by two faculty members in the department of history at the University of New Orleans.

New Orleans has a rich musical tradition and is home to one of the most amazing music scenes in the country. To learn more about the history of music in New Orleans, browse these articles that include information on the history of jazz, mardi gras indians, Congo Square, and other interesting tidbits. If you’d like to experience the music first hand, the city provides plenty of opportunities! Check out this great calendar that lists live music events for venues city-wide.

Fair Housing

For information about fair housing and housing discrimination in New Orleans, visit the Greater New Orleans Fair Housing Action Center’s website that includes a plethora of information to promote homeowner and renter protection. The organization also conducts its own studies, like this one, that discusses racial discrimination in the rental market.

This audio clip (NPR) considers race and affordable housing in St. Bernard Parish.

NPR’s All Things Considered discusses homelessness and squatting in New Orleans, a consequence of unfair housing practices, in this very interesting article and audio clip.

The Greater New Orleans Data Center offers this comprehensive report that analyzes current data on housing conditions and trends in the city and surrounding parishes, assesses regional economic and demographic trends that influence housing needs and affordability, and uses that information to present three different scenarios for the future of housing in New Orleans.

Environmental Sustainability

For a quick overview of the problems posed by disappearing wetlands, read this article by Bloomberg.

For more information about Louisiana coastal restoration visit the Coalition to Restore Coastal Louisiana. Their website is host to a variety of resources about coastal land-loss and its effects on the environment, the economy, and the impact of storms.