Katrina Cottages offer a 'disaster urbanism' solution

"As north and central Alabama recover from devastating tornadoes, leaders in hard-hit communities there are grappling with how best to provide housing that is both affordable and sturdy," Robert McClendon writes in the Mobile Press-Register. 

"The Cottages at Oak Park, a recently completed development in Ocean Springs, Mississippi, may offer insight into possible solutions," he says. 

The cottage development, designed by new urbanist architect Bruce Tolar, has small dwellings facing one another across its main street, the paper notes. Parking is in the rear. Tolar "suggested that Alabama towns and cities consider overhauling their zoning ordinances," the paper says. "Rather than a system that dictates what a property can be used for, he suggested they move to form-based codes, which dictate how developments fit into the built environment."

The need for new housing in Alabama after last spring's havoc is substantial. In all, 23,553 homes were damaged or destroyed, according to the Federal Emergency Management Agency. Tuscaloosa's mayor has estimated that the storm wrecked more than 10 percent of the housing in his city.

Across Alabama, communities have recently conducted charettes, with positive results, the Press-Register says. "Tuscaloosa's City Council, for example, recently approved Tuscaloosa Forward, a rebuilding plan that emphasizes compact, walkable village centers."

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