The challenges facing New Orleans today are unique. No other city in the country--however distressed its economy or frayed its social safety net--has had to rebuild almost everything at once. Nonetheless, almost every American city is grappling with unemployment, racial segregation, failing public schools, inadequate health care, unaffordable housing, poverty, and hardship. If New Orleans tackles these problems seriously and systematically as it rebuilds, it can become a model for the rest of the country. A sustained commitment to providing real economic opportunities and effective social supports for all residents could rebuild not only New Orleans, but also the nation's collective vision of how cities should work for Americans, including the poorest and most vulnerable.