Agenda

Rebuilding for Health, Sustainability, and Disaster Preparedness in the

Gulf Coast Region

Sponsored by Institute of Medicine’s (IOM) Roundtable on Environmental Health Sciences, Research, and Medicine; National Research Council's (NRC) Disasters Roundtable; National Research Council's (NRC) Roundtable on Science and Technology for Sustainability

Tulane University

School of Public Health and Tropical Medicine

Diboll Auditorium

1440 Canal Street, New Orleans, LA

June 1-2, 2006

On June 1-2, 2006, the National Academies will organize a workshop to discuss how areas of the Gulf Coast region could be rebuilt for health, sustainability, and disaster preparedness in the aftermath of the 2005 hurricanes. Three National Academies' roundtables: the Institute of Medicine’s Roundtable on Environmental Health Sciences, Research and Medicine; the National Research Council's (NRC) Disasters Roundtable; and the NRC's Roundtable on Science and Technology for Sustainability will work with leaders from the Gulf Coast region to organize a two-day workshop to discuss this issue. The workshop, to be hosted by Tulane University in New Orleans, will bring together groups from affected regions and some participants from other regions of the United States, including experts involved in rebuilding efforts; members of the academic community, including public and environmental health specialists, urban planners, environmental scientists, and economists; government officials from the local, state, and federal levels; architects; representatives from major industries in the region; and civil society.

Workshop participants will discuss the interconnectedness of the built environment, the natural environment, human health, and disaster resilience, and explore opportunities for taking advantage of considerable advances in understanding of the linkages between the built environment and human physical and mental health. The agenda for this workshop will be developed by members of the three roundtables through a series of planning meetings with local communities from the Gulf Coast region.  It is anticipated that the workshop will include sessions on topics such as transportation- and pedestrian-oriented design; healthy, sustainable, and affordable building materials and techniques; preservation of critical ecosystems, focusing on important ecosystem services; and disaster mitigation and preparedness -- with an emphasis on the interdependence of all of these.

Registration is free and can be obtained by visiting the Roundtable’s web site . The Auditorium is located on the first floor of the main campus of Tulane University. Additional information about the workshop can be obtained by calling (202) 334–3112.

Travel and Hotel Information

Regretfully, the Academies' staff will not coordinate the participants' travel. If you would like to attend the workshop and need lodging, please contact the hotel of your choice directly for their prices and availability. Below is the list of some hotels in the area that are open and may have availability. We hope you will find this information helpful. If you have any additional questions regarding the workshop, please contact staff.

Astor Crowne Plaza

Wyndham New Orleans at Canal Place

JW Marriott

Windsor Court Hotel

Holiday Inn-Chateau LeMoyne French Quarter

W Hotel New Orleans

Loew’s New Orleans Hotel