Problems Within The Community

The problems of the Lower Ninth Ward become pretty apparent once you have spent some time studying the area. Poverty is eminent - those houses which are not part of newer "recovery" projects are boarded up, destroyed, or non-existent. Remnants of community centers and schools are peppered throughout the area, giving the area a "ghost town" feel. There is a sense of abandonment throughout, due in part to the lack of infrastructure. Rarely did I ever encounter police, firefighters, or any kind of obvious authority. The schools that I passed by looked closed or or disarray, and even the "playgrounds" looked more like abandoned lots than welcoming centers for children.

I would imagine that this lack of fundamental aspects of a safe community would add to the crime that the area is notorious for. In my research, I found countless new articles about theft and murder in the area, especially post-Katrina. Perhaps this is all rooted in the feeling of helplessness and abandonment that is given off from the neglected buildings and common spaces. In this way, though there are no "dark alleys" and other typical aspects of an unsafe community, the Broken Window Theory may play at least a small role in the crime rate of the Lower Ninth Ward.

Race-based spacial segregation is certainly an issue in the Lower Ninth and its surrounding areas. Bordering the Lower Ninth is Chalmette - a predominantly white community that is very much the opposite of the Lower Ninth. Chalmette has a solid infrastructure, retail establishments, and much nicer houses. The two areas don't seem to mix at all, and I would imagine that, given the presentations that have been given so far in class, the people of Chalmette would not want to be associated with their neighbors over the railroad tracks. Chalmette prides itself on the high level of care it takes on its property, while the Lower Ninth Ward suffers from neglect and abandonment by not only its only people but also the local government.