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Sustainable
Development for Downtown New Orleans
 At
a two-day workshop held on April 20 and 21, 2007, the AIA150 Team
launched its initiative to promote sustainable development patterns in
downtown New Orleans.
On the morning of Friday, April 20, the AIA150 Team conducted a tour of
the downtown New Orleans area, with particular emphasis on the Rampart
Street Corridor. Later that afternoon the AIA150 Team met in the
Council Chambers of the City of New Orleans. An inspiring keynote
address was delivered by Jeremy Harris, Past Mayor of Honolulu, and
internationally recognized expert on sustainable cities. Two panel
discussions followed. The first tackled the subject of sustainable
design and was moderated by David Dixon of Goody Clancy’s
Planning and Urban Design division. The second explored policy issues
surrounding sustainable design and was moderated by Kurt Weigle,
Executive Director of New Orleans’ Downtown Development
District. The panel included experts in the fields of city planning,
architecture, landscape architecture, transportation, real estate
development and natural resources. They provided excellent background
information as to best practices in developing downtown green space/art
space, funding for green initiatives, and revitalization of cities
through instituting sustainable practices, implementation of
sustainable policies, case studies and more. Following the panel
discussions, the audience presented their questions and comments to the
panel. All left energized and ready to tackle the next
morning’s work.
On Saturday, April 21, the AIA150 Team met with stakeholders and
citizens of the downtown New Orleans area. Participants were introduced
to Rampart Street, the downtown New Orleans area, and the Unified New
Orleans Plan recommendations for the downtown area. The attendees were
then divided into two groups.
 The
Design Team selected the types of policies to advance, suggested
projects, and examined how to link them to housing, office and
educational facilities. The Design Team developed a number of green
development opportunities for the Rampart Street corridor, and sketched
what a greener, more sustainable DDD would look like.
The Policy Team reviewed current zoning and codes as they apply,
examined how constraints or incentives could be applied within the
present legal structure, and strategized for funding of green
initiatives.
Over the next several weeks, The Policy Team will draft a policy
statement for endorsement by the City of New Orleans and recommend a
strategy for implementation of constraints and/or incentives for
developing a greener and more sustainable downtown.
View
all Blueprint Initiatives |
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