1) an inherently negative bias imagines society as a place where the effect of moving is fracture, discontinuity and disorganisation. It fails to mention the more positive and noble attributes which can surface in times of stress or even when faced with unfamiliar social or physical geographies: people meeting new faces, the kindness of strangers, forging impromtu and practically based social connections, the refinement and flourishing of social skills and norms which can sometimes atrophy in normal urban environments. All in all, a world where my strange new neighbour after the flood is in a similar position to me, will feel an analogous impulse to reach out and find the safety of human contact and comfort to my own, is one which, while not stress free, does not sound unnattractive.

2) rivers are in some ways predictably upredictable, if you excuse the bad english. So while one might find onself with new neighbours, in ones or twos perhaps, you will still inhabit an environment which is predominantly of similar social fabric to the one before the flooding event. Note also that the umbilicus mentioned will also effectively be a tether, restricting the distance and radius of travel unless there is an unfortunate accident.

Finally, there is no direct analogue between the flood event envisaged here and that which occurred during Hurricane Katrina. Here there are effectively thousands of discreet units, boxes which although for habitation primarily are also full of the paraphernalia of living, of personality and of legacies. These people in the scenario envisaged will not have to come to terms with loosing the markers of their identity, loosing the ephemeral links between place and home, dealing with the shock of death and loss. I think people should at least give this project another look and enjoy the fun, positive aspects of it rather than dwelling on the darknesses of the past…

My two cents… ;)

Let me put it this way: if y’alls wanna be safe, find an asylum. Life is life… you can get run over or shot. This is the price we pay for being alive.

Second – I’ll put my own 2 cents in if N.O. should be rebuilt or not. I’ll put it this way. San Francisco – the big one is coming. No one knows when, but if you don’t move out now, then you are part of the problem too.

Kinda childish isn’t it? That’s what its like trying to say that an entire city is foolish for moving back.
I wish all the best in imagination and creativity for solutions to help my city rebuild.

Contrast this project with Morphosis’s Make it Right entry features a structure that can float. Those large steel columns are allow the structure to move vertically, but allow it to remain in place and be stable. I think this is a far more respectful approach to the same basic strategy. I hope someone choses that design, but then I also hope the design never gets truly tested.