Watch a preview of how the Land of Opportunity interactive player works.

What kinds of communities do we want to build—or rebuild—in the 21st century? Land of Opportunity, an innovative project supported by our Metropolitan Opportunity program, reframes our understanding of urban equity and post-crisis recovery. Its experimental online platform features an interactive video player and timeline that allows users to explore and compare stories about the people and processes that are shaping disaster-stricken communities.

The project began in New Orleans soon after Hurricane Katrina. Producers collected hundreds of hours of footage shot in and around the city, compiling one of the most comprehensive video archives of the city’s post-Katrina planning. That footage became a 2011 feature film, and now plays a key role in the new platform, which combines it with multimedia content created and curated by partners in other communities.

Land of Opportunity aims to move the conversation about disaster recovery and community redevelopment beyond any one time, place or context. It challenges users to consider the significance of the stories and themes to their own lives and communities, as well as to create and curate their own stories and share knowledge with people working in different places.

“Our hope is that by creating an interactive storytelling space where communities can connect and draw lessons across post-disaster contexts (and other rebuilding challenges), we’ll be making media that goes beyond anniversary soundbites to support ongoing community rebuilding efforts,” wrote producer and director Luisa Dantas in an op-ed for Untapped Cities.

More Information

• Explore the Land of Opportunity interactive player
• Learn more about “Land of Opportunity,” the related feature film also supported by Ford