Will New Orleans rush to rebuild or do it right?

A thoughtful San Francisco Chronicle story examines some of the questions and issues facing New Orleans as it decides how to rebuild.

San Francisco knows something about rebuilding, having suffered the nation's worst disaster until Katrina came along. John King, the paper's urban design writer, says:

And if history, including San Francisco's experience in 1906, is any indication, the response will be a determined return to life -- with an emphasis on getting things done quickly, rather than getting them done right.

The story ends with this observation from John Norquist (for whom I once worked, just to get that disclaimer out of the way):

The larger challenge is to rebuild the city in a way that truly serves its people -- offering good homes to residents of all incomes -- and that continues the architectural richness that is as much a part of New Orleans' character as jazz and creole food.

That could be difficult.

"You're going to see a lot of people in a hurry," said John Norquist. He is president of Congress for the New Urbanism, which advocates growth that does not rely on cars. But Norquist also is former mayor of Milwaukee, so he knows political dynamics.

"There will be a lot of pressure without a lot of thought to get something done," Norquist said. "If they build and build, or turn over big chunks of land to suburban (style) developers, the result will be a mess."

The best bet New Orleans has, Norquist suggested, is to take cues from what already exists.

"They should just affirm the street patterns and property lines that already exist. The city needs to learn from its image, which is very strong," said Norquist, who spent his honeymoon in New Orleans. "It's not just the jazz, it's the life. Sophisticated pleasure -- they need to stick with that. That's why the world loves them."