Will NO follow the "New Urbanists" or fall prey to big developers?

While the city's unique needs and interests should be considered, the experts say, some principles of good growth can be applied to the "new" New Orleans. High-density planning, defined as the concentration of housing units in a specific area or a specific property, is one.

Nearly all of the experts suggested integrating such housing into neighborhoods that are still viable.

"Density is very healthy," said Pres Kabacoff, chief executive officer of HRI Properties. "We're not a very dense city. We could handle twice the population in the Bywater, the Lower Garden District and along Canal Street."

Citing Vancouver as a model, Kabacoff suggested building medium-rise and high-rise apartment houses and condominiums in appropriate places throughout the city.

Sounds nice, but can local people control the rebuilding?