Ed Blakely

Edward James Blakely (April 21, 1938 – September 6, 2025) was an American academic who, for most his career, was a professor of Urban Planning at the University of California at Berkeley. In 1994, he retired as a leading scholar in the field with award-winning books. He is known primarily for having been executive director of Recovery Management for the City of New Orleans.

Early life and education

Blakely was born in San Bernardino, California, on April 21, 1938. He earned his B.A. from the University of California at Riverside, an M.A. in Latin American history from the University of California at Berkeley, a master of management from Point Loma Nazarene University, and a Ph.D. in education and management from the University of California at Los Angeles.

Career

Role in Oakland

For nearly a decade, Blakely worked as a consultant to Oakland, California, mayor Elihu Harris. In 1998, Blakely ran to succeed Harris as mayor of Oakland and finished the election in a very distant second-place behind Jerry Brown.

Role in New Orleans

Blakely was hired by New Orleans Mayor Ray Nagin two years after Hurricane Katrina.

Blakely's role in New Orleans was never far from controversy: he was criticized for describing New Orleans as a "third world country" and its residents as "buffoons" and for not accomplishing enough. He alleged, in a speech in Sydney, that the actual population of New Orleans pre-Katrina was known to be slightly lower than the official number reported by the U.S. Census Bureau.