MythBusters: New Orleans

Posted by Muffuletta

Study bust[s] myth that New Orleans is sunken city

“Contrary to popular perceptions, half of New Orleans is at or above sea level.”

And Monkey Hill is not the highest ground in the city. This is according to Tulane and Xavier’s Center for Bioenvironmental Research and their LIDAR light imaging detection technology. The article discusses the need to prioritize land use, but also mentions that land height is “not the last word,” as seen after Katrina.

Posted by Muffuletta on April 23rd, 2007 Filed in Encouraging, Katrina, New Orleans, Science

4 Responses to “MythBusters: New Orleans”

  1. Shannon Says:
    April 24th, 2007 at 2:29 pm

    From the article:

    The study provides a satellite image of the city with red shading on areas that are at and above sea level but are vacant or underutilized. It identifies nearly 2,000 “vacant, unused, or lightly used parcels.”

    If these parcels were developed for residential living at 1960 population levels, they could become home for an additional 21,000 people, the study concludes. The city’s population was then at its peak; 627,585 people lived in New Orleans, according to the 1960 census.

    Decades later, the 2000 census counted 484,674 New Orleans residents. At that 2000-level density, the study estimates an additional 9,000 people could be settled on the vacant, unused or lightly used parcels.

    Awesome!

  2. Shannon Says:
    May 8th, 2007 at 2:06 am

    Jesus. The Picayune still hasn’t fixed that “bust” mistake in the headline?!

  3. 15th Ward Says:
    May 8th, 2007 at 4:59 am

    Yeah, I’ve noticed at least one other blog.nola.com post with a similar verb-tense quirk.

  4. Jason Says:
    August 8th, 2007 at 2:34 pm

    the higest point in metro new orleans is the hill at Zepher’s field

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