NEW ORLEANS (press release) – Post-Katrina urban planning and the ongoing pursuit of resilience will take center stage at the 2025 Morrison Lecture hosted by The Historic New Orleans Collection (HNOC). Titled “We’re Not Done Yet: Post-Katrina Urban Planning Lessons,“ the free event is set for Aug. 16 at the Williams Research Center.
Presented in partnership with Vieux Carré Property Owners, Residents and Associates and the Vieux Carré Commission Foundation, the biennial lecture will explore how the city’s recovery efforts continue to shape urban planning and equity initiatives nearly 20 years after Hurricane Katrina.
At this year’s Morrison Lecture, nationally renowned urban planner David Dixon – who helped draft the city’s post-Katrina Master Plan – will reframe the story of recovery: not as a saga of missteps or a quest for perfection, but as the pursuit of an achievable, community-centered vision. Dixon will explore what was learned and how New Orleans is uniquely positioned for success thanks to its history, cultural diversity and strong neighborhood identities.
Following Dixon’s keynote address, a panel of local community leaders will reflect on their roles during the recovery and discuss ongoing opportunities for growth. The distinguished panel includes B. Mitchell (Broadmoor Improvement Association), Marla Nelson (Freeport Professorship in Urban & Public Affairs) and Mayra Pineda (Hispanic Chamber of Commerce of Louisiana).
“As we approach the 20th anniversary of Hurricane Katrina, the lessons learned in urban planning and community resilience remain incredibly vital,” says HNOC President and CEO, Daniel Hammer. “This year’s Morrison Lecture offers a crucial opportunity to reexamine New Orleans’s recovery not as a finished chapter, but as an ongoing pursuit of an equitable, community-centered future. By bringing together voices like David Dixon and our esteemed local leaders, we continue the legacy of Jacob Haight and Mary Meek Morrison in fostering critical conversations that safeguard and shape our city’s architectural heritage and its future.”
HNOC’s Jacob Haight and Mary Meek Morrison Memorial Lecture honors the memory of two longtime French Quarter residents and staunch preservation advocates. From the 1930s onward, the couple played a vital role in raising awareness of the city’s architectural heritage and advancing preservation legislation. In addition to housing the Mary Meek Morrison and Jacob H. Morrison Papers, which contain nearly 94,000 items, HNOC hosts the biennial Morrison Lecture to honor their legacy.
“We’re Not Done Yet: Post-Katrina Urban Planning Lessons” takes place Saturday, Aug. 16 at 1 p.m. at HNOC’s Williams Research Center located at 410 Chartres St. in the French Quarter. Admission is free but registration is required at www.hnoc.org.
About the Historic New Orleans Collection
The Historic New Orleans Collection (HNOC) is a nonprofit institution dedicated to preserving the distinctive history and culture of New Orleans and the Gulf South. Founded in 1966 through the Kemper and Leila Williams Foundation, HNOC operates as a free museum, research center and publisher spanning more than 15 historic buildings in the heart of the French Quarter. For more information visit hnoc.org.
