X marks the spot: decoding the Hurricane Katrina ‘X’ through urban memory of New Orleans residents

This thesis explores the urban memory of residents of the Marigny and Bywater neighborhoods of New Orleans. The research project examines the memories and experiences of locals with Hurricane Katrina, particularly as they relate to the Hurricane Katrina Xs through grounded fieldwork, analysis of interviews, United States Census data, and archives. I explore the underlying motivations behind why residents either kept or erased the Xs that were spray painted onto their residences by FEMA Urban Search and Response Teams during the aftermath of the storm. This thesis concludes that the Xs are not randomly distributed and that residents socially construct memories that transcend space and time.