In what Gov. Kathleen Babineaux Blanco calls a major step toward rebuilding hurricane-ravaged south Louisiana, the Louisiana Recovery Authority announced Thursday it has engaged three nationally recognized firms to help communities recover from hurricanes Katrina and Rita.LRA member Donna Fraiche of New Orleans, who heads the authority's long-term planning task force, commended the Support Organization on its recommendation. She said the unique nature of long-term planning after Hurricanes Katrina and Rita was an irresistible project for the nation's top planners.

"This is the premier project — not just in the country but in the world," she said.Calthorpe Associates of Berkeley, Calif.; Urban Design Associates of Pittsburgh and Duany Plater-Zyberk Associates of Miami, Fla., will begin work immediately to develop a comprehensive regional vision for south Louisiana.Fraiche said criteria developed by the American Institute of Architects and the American Planning Association will guide the planning process. The criteria, which the LRA endorsed today, were developed at a recent national conference held in New Orleans.The consortium was selected from a field of 14 applicants by the LRA Support Organization, which raises funds to support LRA initiatives, including hiring long-term planners. The Support Organization based its selection on criteria adopted by the LRA Nov. 11.Board members stressed the importance of allowing community needs and aspirations to inform the planning process."Ideas will bubble up from communities. The planners' job is to incorporate them into a regional vision," Board member Rod West of Entergy New Orleans said.Collectively, the firms have developed regional plans throughout the country, including Salt Lake City; Southern California; Chicago; Minneapolis-St. Paul; Austin, Texas; and Denver.A key challenge in the rebuilding process will be to ensure all community members and displaced residents are involved in the process.

The LRA staff is working with nonprofit PolicyLink, which is providing pro bono consulting regarding economic and social equity; affordable housing policy; community outreach; and communication strategy.PolicyLink CEO Angela Glover Blackwell said rebuilding in the Gulf Coast region is an opportunity "to demonstrate how equitable development can result in opportunities for everyone in the region to participate and prosper."In other action, the LRA Board:* Received a report from Witt and Associates on strategies for using federal hazard mitigation funds to rebuild communities. The LRA has already authorized the release of $250 million in hazard mitigation funds to help communities rebuild stronger and smarter. Louisiana is expected to receive $2 billion to $4 billion in hazard mitigation funds resulting from damage from hurricanes Katrina and Rita.* Endorsed Rep. Richard Baker's legislation to establish the Louisiana Recovery Corp.The LRA, a 26-member body appointed by Blanco to identify and prioritize short and long-term recovery needs, is the planning and coordinating body for the recovery of Louisiana.