Alan Gutierrez

The Audio Town Hall project, which has been in the works for some time, has been launced over the weekend. We’re facilitating conference calls between neighborhoods and the group urban planners from which the neighborhoods must choose, in order to move forward with the “process” of rebuliding our fair City of New Orleans. For my non New Orleans neighborhoods planning readers, there’s a lot of back story.

For those of you who’ve been following along, you can hear Carrollton residents Jenel Hazlett and Kim Carver speaking with a David Dixon from Goody Clancy, and also Carrollton and John Hoal of H3.

Gentilly resident Nikki Najiola speaks with David Dixon of Goody Clancy, and Marty Rowland and Karen Parsons join her to speak with John Hoal of H3.

Oddly timed, Nancy White, who I follow for insight into social networking software, has written up a long article on telephone faciliation, which might be worth a study for those of use who are developing the Audio Town Hall.

Look forward to more intereviews with planners in the comming week, and an interview with the creators of the Kid Camera Project, which breaks the planning mold into which Think New Orleans has been stuffed.

Yup. Ray Nagin was at the last 9th Ward Homeowners Association meeting. We recorded his message online. If you want to hear Ray Nagin speaking clearly to his constituents, go listen to his statement.

I really enjoyed listening to him speak. He’s a plain dealer. It was business communication, and full of information and opinion.

• Ray Nagin at the 9th Ward Homeowner’s Association

Rather than comment here, please leave your comments in the Think New Orleans post for the audio, 9th Ward Homeowners: Guest Mayor Ray Nagin.

The quality of information that comes out of the 9th Ward Homeowner’s Meeting is amazing, by the way. It is a very well moderated, and open community forum.

I’ve now got four French Quarter Town Hall meetings recorded digitally. Christian Roselund and his magic Sony Mini-Disc recorder have created two particullary nice recordings since the meeting moved back to Oswald’s, which has a much better sound system. We now have permission to post the 9th Ward Home Owners Association meetings, and have two recorded so far.

Need thoughts on community Podcasting from the blogosphere. Please, read the posting at Think New Orleans, Seeking Podcasting Pointers, and leave some there in the comments.

Went to the Eracism meeting today. I’m nagging them to create meeting summaries for their blog. I’m finding that nagging is key to the success of Think New Orleans. It will be the key to success of the Eracism Blog as well.

I’ve not broached Podcasting with Bill Knecht, but Christian Roselund and I were wondering about Podcasting the closing statments of the meeting participants. This is at the end when everyone goes around the table and takes a minute to speak.

There are other cities that are interested in the Eracism program, and the summaries would be a great way to hear how civil people can be while discussing third-rail topics, given the right forum.

What do you think about proposing Podcasting for Eracism Blog?