On the Road to the Louisiana Recovery and Rebuilding Conference
It was all hands on deck for the staffs of AIA New Orleans, AIA Louisiana, and AIA national component on the evening of November 9 as they prepared for the arrival of a standing room only crowd of 600 who signed up to attend the Louisiana Recovery and Rebuilding Conference in New Orleans, November 10-12. Sponsored by the AIA in collaboration with the American Planning Association and co-sponsored by the National Trust for Historic Preservation and the American Society of Civil Engineers the conference is the first step in the largest rebuilding effort in U.S. history. It will bring together local and national design and planning officials with Louisiana public officials, civic groups, and business organizations to develop a body of principles that will guide Louisiana’s long range planning efforts. AIA.org will bring updates from the conference as they take place.

High Tech and High Touch Combine for Rebuilding Conference
Members of America Speaks, the nonpartisan, nonprofit organization that conducts citizen engagement projects work with AIA staff to put the final touches on the ballroom that will serve as home for the 600 participants of the Louisiana Recovery and Rebuilding Conference that will take place November 10-12. America Speaks will facilitate small group discussions and guide participants in an electronic “instant polling” process that will allow everyone’s voice to be heard, as well as on-site tabulation and analysis of how participants will want the rebuilding to proceed. In between small group breakouts, participants will hear from speakers who include Governor Kathleen Blanco, Lt. Gov. Mitch Landrieu, and Xavier University President Dr. Norman Francis. AIA.org will bring updates from the conference as they take place.