Professor Svenson's showing of a part of his documentry entitled "Conflicting Prescriptions" has brought forth many interesting perspectives. Each person interviewed had many different ideas/ideals for and about the current situation and the future of the Lower 9th Ward. For many local residents, basic restructuring and rebuilding of homes and schools has become a high priority for restoring what was once such a unique community. Destroyed by hurricaine Katrina, the Lower 9th Ward has been wiped clean of the majority of physical structures above ground, but the roots in this area still run deep.
Focusing on the rebuilding of this community, it is clear to see that outside influences are infiltrating the area, bringing with them a sense of curiosity and creativity. Many people have come to this area thinking of the Lower 9th as a clean slate. This couldn't be farther from the truth. For an area dominated by African American residents, the ideal set forth to create the "Las Vegas of the South", or to turn the land into a North American replica of the Gardens of Versailles, is unimaginable.
True inequality shines through in this neighbourhood at this time. Those that left the area because they had nothing left rings true in the clearly evident unequal power relations that underly government funding. When a national disaster hits, there should be an immediate push to help the weakened part of the country, however there still remains very little in the way of assistance. Why hasn't more been done? Environmental injustice/inequality.
I would like to see how the Lower 9th Ward will look in 10, 25 and 50 years from now. It will be very interesting to see who will have had the most influence on this area in terms of the rebuilding of the land, or if it will remain a 'hotspot' for tourists. Of all the topics covered in this course, I feel that within the past 4 years this area has encompassed a great deal of these and still continues to.