“It’s almost like he’s a guru on water,” says Ramiro Diaz, who works with Waggonner at his firm. “He was doing it all trying to cajole and convince and persuade and do all of the things someone does trying to change the dynamic of the debate.” He co-founded the Dutch Dialogues with Waggonner. “He was pushing the car,” says Dale Morris, an American who has been working as senior economist to the Netherlands for twenty years. This is a bigger blueprint to work on.” When talking about water, Waggonner quotes the Bible, the Rolling Stones, and an inscription from the entrance to the old port of Amsterdam.įormer Louisiana Senator Mary Landrieu, who has herself been instrumental in the city’s post-Katrina transformation, says, “He's been the driving force and the pivotal professional involved in pushing everyone, our own elected officials, both local and state, and encouraging me along the way, to continue the effort.” She adds, “He educated himself and his team and has been doing a lot of education of students and professors in the city.” David thinks in terms of designing spaces or communities where buildings are a part of it. “Most people think of architects as people who design buildings. “I think he's been a catalyst for transforming the way water is thought of,” says Mark Davis, the director of the Tulane Institute on Water Resources Law and Policy. Waggonner’s firm, Waggonner & Ball, had not worked with water management before Katrina, but now Waggonner and his firm are known for it. More than one of his friends says Waggonner carries on his shoulders the heavy burden of what could go wrong with New Orleans if change doesn’t happen soon. Waggonner is described by his peers as an instigator with stubborn dedication, an old soul with a new vision, a water freedom fighter, a team coach leading the charge to transform New Orleans’s relationship with water.
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