Hope springs eternal from New Orleans, though much work remains to be done. (kla4067/Flickr)

We are coming up on the Fifth Anniversary of Hurricane Katrina next week, and while such milestones are as manufactured as they are macabre, at least in this case it provides a helpful moment for reflection. Half-a-decade out, we seemed to have reached a great enough critical distance for a serious appraisal of what has and hasn’t worked in terms of reconstructing the Crescent City. Documentarians and journalists are already weighing in, so why not the planners?

Downtown looms over the Lower Ninth Ward, which remains desolate in many places. (eastcolfax/Flickr)

The Brookings Institution released its 25th New Orleans Index earlier this month, the most comprehensive one yet, looking at everything from a rise in community engagement to a continued lack of medial care. There is an especially good essay, entitled “No More Surprises,” about how the storm has actually brought a semblance of critical planning to the city. The Urban Land Institute recently held a conference to explore the progress of its plan and others for the city, where it parachuted in shortly after to begin mapping out a rebuilding process, and the Van Alen Institute and the Environmental Defense Fund are holding a similar round table, Project Eco Delta, next week at the Venice Biennale. We’re sure there’s bound to be more discussion, and we’d like to start one of our own, so share your tips and experiences in the comments below.