The Urban Conservancy News Roundup

Democrats Add Suburbs to Their Growing Coalition

Thu, 06 Nov 2008 05:08:28 -0600

To expand their coalition, Lang said, Republicans will need to find ways to talk about issues relevant to metropolitan areas. “You don’t have to have the same policies as the Democrats, but you have to talk about this and not just talk about values in the small towns,” he said.

Master Plan Given Force of Law

Wed, 05 Nov 2008 05:25:31 -0600

In urging support of the amendment, the Bureau of Governmental Research said that in New Orleans, “land-use decisions do not emerge from a fair, rational or consistent process, and the City Council holds unbridled discretion in important areas.”

Kaleidoscopic Biennial for a Scarred City

Tue, 04 Nov 2008 05:33:28 -0600

Dan Cameron, a veteran curator and the founder of Prospect.1, came to New Orleans after Hurricane Katrina and didn’t want to leave. He seems to have sensed that in the city’s rawness a different kind of biennial was waiting to break free. Because New Orleans lacked an obvious site for the event or the means to build one, Mr. Cameron has distributed his selections in about 30 locations: several museums and alternative spaces, as well as public buildings, old houses and empty lots stripped bare by the hurricane.

Organization Recommends Removal of Claiborne Overpass

Fri, 31 Oct 2008 12:36:49 -0600

Following Hurricane Katrina, the removal of the highway was recognized in the Unified New Orleans Plan as a means of reconnecting Treme to surrounding neighborhoods in the French Quarter, Marigny and Esplanade Ridge. UNOP planners predicted the full removal of the interstate overpass would renew 35 to 40 city blocks and create 20 to 25 blocks of open space along Claiborne Avenue. But since the UNOP declaration no plans have been made to tear down the overpass and local officials have said nothing to imply support for the costly maneuver.

Reflections: New Orleans and China

Sat, 20 Sep 2008 14:21:07 -0600

All of the great challenges that confront the 21st-century city — from class, race and environmental issues to the continuing duel between history and modernity — are crystallized in New Orleans.

Yet the kind of visionary urban plan that could address these issues in a bold and thoughtful way has yet to materialize. Instead, some of the country’s greatest architectural minds are inventing the future in cities like Beijing, Shenzhen and Dubai, where their talents are more appreciated.

Public PARK(ing)

Fri, 19 Sep 2008 14:29:24 -0600

“Motivated by the desire to exploit the metered parking space as a site for art, activism, and cultural expression, REBAR offers PARK Day as a prototype for open source urban design accessible to all,” says a statement in the project’s “assembly manual.”

New Orleans Repeating Deadly Levee Blunders

Sun, 24 Aug 2008 18:15:43 -0600

“It’s not exactly great protection,” said John Barry, the author of “Rising Tide,” a book New Orleans college students read to learn about the corps’ efforts to tame the Mississippi.

Hey Buddy, Can You Spare a Microchip Plant?

Mon, 18 Aug 2008 20:54:00 -0600

The stakes are high as the city finds it needs much more than great restaurants and the bawdy Bourbon Street scene to wine and dine itself to economic prosperity.
But there is no master vision for rebuilding New Orleans’ economy.

High Gas Prices Have North Shore Commuters Considering Southern Living

Wed, 23 Jul 2008 15:18:52 -0600

“What Americans will really want in the coming years are walkable communities,” Fields said. “Where New Orleans has its real strength is that we fit that type of model.”

A New Fashion Catches on in Paris: Cheap Bicycle Rentals

Tue, 15 Jul 2008 11:35:30 -0600

A year after the introduction of the sturdy gray bicycles known as Velib’s, they are being used all over Paris. The bikes are cheap to rent because they are subsidized by advertising, and other major cities, including American ones, are exploring similar projects.

Path to Revitalization

Mon, 14 Jul 2008 11:06:57 -0600

“The time has come to see the potential for this corridor not only be used as a path for people to walk or bike to work and to better their health, but also to knit communities along the greenway together,” said Bart Everson, the FOLC’s board chair.

Katrina's Most Vulnerable

Tue, 08 Jul 2008 20:51:00 -0600

Homeless-services agencies that work in New Orleans are rightly worried. In a city where rents have skyrocketed and housing is in short supply, they fear that developers who were required to set aside units for the most vulnerable citizens may shy away from tenants with histories of mental illness or homelessness.

Are Downtowns in Danger of Going Downhill Again?

Mon, 07 Jul 2008 20:55:58 -0600

“Ambitious projects will be put on hold, but I don’t think they’ll throw away the blueprints,” said Mark Zandi, chief economist at Moody’s Economy.com. “A lot of inner cities are going through a bit of a renaissance for broader demographic reasons that will remain in place for a while. Aging baby boomers are becoming empty nesters and they’re thinking of moving back to the urban core.”

Bicycle to Work, Save Gas, Live Longer

Tue, 01 Jul 2008 00:06:51 -0600

“New Orleans is a great place for biking,” says Lando, his enthusiasm undimmed by potholes and a paucity of dedicated bike lanes. “It’s flat, everything is so close together. I can get from the French Quarter to the Riverbend in 20 minutes. I can go from our house to Petco on Manhattan (Boulevard) and come back with 30 pounds of dog food in the same amount of time it takes me to go by car. And it’s a great way to see the neighborhood.”

Rethinking the Country Life as Energy Costs Rise

Sat, 28 Jun 2008 22:02:59 -0600

Long before the recent spike in the price of energy, environmentalists decried suburban sprawl a waste of land, energy and tax dollars. Governments from Virginia to California have in recent decades lavished resources on building roads and schools for new subdivisions in the outer rings of development while skimping on maintaining facilities closer in. Many governments now focus on reviving their downtowns.