Hurricane Katrina—the struggle to respond to the storm’s aftermath and the ongoing puzzles it raises about public policy—presents an unparalleled opportunity to explore the defining issues of the American community. At the core of everything are two recurring questions:

• How can—and should—the nation come together to rebuild the storm-ravaged Gulf Coast?
• What broader lessons does the storm teach about government’s role in helping citizens deal with the inevitable risks we all face in the 21st century?

The University of Pennsylvania is holding a major national dialogue on these issues, in two parts:

• Risk and Disaster. A national symposium, held in Washington, D.C. which convened experts on managing risk—not only the economic issues of insurance but also the broader social and political issues of government’s responsibility to—and relationship with—its citizens.

• Rebuilding Urban Places After Disaster: A conference, to be held in early February in Philadelphia, which would draw together experts and leading scholars from the University of Pennsylvania to focus on rebuilding cities and their environs after a disaster. In considering rebuilding urban areas, four major issues emerge: (i) making places less vulnerable to disaster; (ii) re-establishing economic viability to urban regions; (iii) responding to the permanent needs of the displaced; and (iv) recreating a sense of community.