New Orleans, One Year Later

This week, The New Yorker published a major story about the rebuilding of New Orleans. Written by Dan Baum and entitled "The Lost Year," the piece explores the recovery process from several points of view -- those of elected officials, business leaders and city residents, especially residents of the Lower Ninth Ward.

The article portrays the rebuilding process as a missed opportunity. Despite all the time and attention given to the Crescent City's recovery, many of the key questions and issues were not, and will not, be resolved. Any progress that has been made, argues the article, has occurred in a haphazard fashion driven by the desire of people to regain their old lives and old communities.