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How to Succeed in New Orleans

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My friend and former NYU classmate Sandy Ikeda has this outstanding op-ed [2] in the current issue of Forbes.  In it, Sandy argues that New Orleans would be rebuilt better if neighborhoods there secede from the City.  Here are some key paragraphs:

At first blush this idea [of secession] probably sounds radical, even absurd. But
secession is the logical extension of the Unified New Orleans Plan,
which, in an earlier incarnation, allowed each neighborhood to hire
urban planners to coordinate post-Katrina reconstruction. If
neighborhoods can be trusted with this vital task, why can’t they
manage their own security, garbage collection, noise ordinances and
road maintenance? Devolving power in this way goes far beyond UNOP’s
proposed "citizen participation" and enables neighborhoods to more
effectively mobilize their energy and know-how.

Consider this:
Secession has been happening for decades. Almost a fifth of Americans
now live in suburbs, private neighborhoods with deed restrictions and
community-oriented governance. Why shouldn’t urban dwellers have those
options?

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