New Orleans East Revitalization Plan
DISASTER PLANNING
Disaster, Water issues, Challenges, and Infrastructure in New Orleans and the Lake Forest Target Area
Major issues in the Lake Forest area include street and home-flooding from heavy rain events and tropical storms, and residential and commercial water supply delivery. Any rain events of more than 1 inch in an hour can result in serious street and home-flooding. Electrical outages, both at the Carrollton water treatment plant and by other water supply pumping stations, create low water pressure conditions that result in “boil water” events and low or stoppages in water delivery.
The City of New Orleans Stormwater Plan and the GNO Urban Water Plan (GNO Inc. & Water Collaborative)
The City of New Orleans has an established Stormwater Management Plan last updated in 2018. This plan includes specific processes, procedures and requirements for managing stormwater associated with any existing or proposed community development project and it specifies procedures, requirements, and permitting processes required. The Stormwater Plan was developed on the basis of the Greater New Orleans Urban Water Plan published in 2013. The GNO Urban Water Plan fully describes grey and green infrastructure features and proposes a broad array of state-of-the-art green infrastructural architectural design features and requirements. It proposed numerous demonstration projects to enhance grey infrastructure (traditional drainage and pumping solutions), as well as many forms of green infrastructure. Several of these projects have been developed in areas of MidCity and Uptown New Orleans.
Tropical storms and Hurricanes (June 1st to December 1st), present additional triggering of serious stormwater events, as well as electrical outages that prevent or compromise both the stormwater pumps that move stormwaters from drainage systems and the water delivery systems. Electrical outages for general utility needs are also often triggered by these storm events.
Lake Forest, like most of New Orleans East, is at very low base elevation. Thus, stormwater management is an ongoing issue. The Sewerage & Water Board New Orleans (SWBNO) drainage maps, as well as our own site visits document that the Lake Forest area is very well supported by both large open drainage canals and by covered major street and neighborhood drainage. Three major stormwater pumps (DPS10, DPS14, DPS16) convey stormwaters from the three major open canals to Lake Pontchartrain (www.swbno.org/Stormwater/Overview ). Stormwater Drainage pumps are operated (turned on) during anticipated and ongoing major rain events, which occur many times per year in nearly every month of a given year. The canal banks and adjacent areas are inspected and maintained, however there are no developed green infrastructure features at present. Several “ lakes” (water retention structures) are located west of Mayo Blvd and north of I-10 adjacent to Lake Forest. These features can contribute to water retention during heavy rain events.
We propose that Lake Forest would be an outstanding opportunity for the City of New Orleans and the SWBNO to implement this zero-carbon solution as a demonstration project for potential use within many of the drainage canals throughout the GNO area. These small hydroelectric generation systems function best in continuous water flow, which is clearly not the case for New Orleans stormwater drainage canals. Our pumping stations are intermittently operated, however the opportunity to provide a proof-of-concept would be valuable for our region.
Green Infrastructure Proposal 1 – Develop additional green infrastructure areas (water gardens or lakes) for onsite water absorption and retention to reduce stresses on the pumping stations.
(Several locations are illustrated on the Map). These areas are currently undeveloped and overgrown with shrubs and small trees. Development of water gardens provides the opportunity to design them as functional places that residents can also visit and use, with walking paths, native vegetation and ecological interpretive areas. Water gardens developed in these ways therefore not only provide direct support for mitigating stormwater runoff, but they contribute significantly to quality of life experiences for residents in the areas.
Green Infrastructure Proposal 2 – Install small hydroelectric generation systems within the major canal serviced by pump DPS10.
This canal is central to the Lake Forest area (exiting through Little Woods) directly conveys stormwaters from much of the drainage system in this area). Small hydroelectric generation systems focus upon man-made canals have been developed and deployed over the past 10 years. These require little modification of existing canals that they are installed within. They serve to generate distributed electricity when there is water flow through canals. The electricity generated can be fed into the general utility grid or it can service specific areas and buildings. The electrical generation can support the sustainable power needs of the drainage system or other municipal systems. One of the most important elements to making these work financially is to have net-metering, which New Orleans has for its regulatory relationship with Entergy New Orleans. An example company that has developed and installed these modular systems for over 10 years is Emrgy Inc. (emrgy.com)
Proposed Green Infrastructure Projects supporting stormwater management. Orange rectangles show two SWBNO canal pumps into Lake Pontchartrain for the Little Woods and New Orleans East canals. Dashed yellow lines are major open canals that drain the covered residential drainage lines. Green polygons indicate locations of proposed water gardens (Proposal #1). Orange areas (Map above) indicate locations for 5 pairs of small canal installed hydroelectric generator systems.
Example of Green Infrastructure features adjacent canal banks. This is an example of green infrastructure that are proposed to enhance stormwater absorption along Little Woods and other canals in the Lake Forest area (Projects # 1). This rendering was proposed by the New Orleans Urban Water Plan.
ENERGY
Solar
In New Orleans, Entergy offers a few options for residential and commercial solar energy production. The one that is most relevant to our plan is net metering services, which is where the amount of energy that one’s solar set up produces and sends to the grid is used to offset the cost of energy that they used on their monthly bill. In situations where the solar setup produced more than was used that month, the excess is credited to the following month, and the owner only pays the minimum bill amount for the month. There is an initial charge to set up net metering, which is $50 for residential properties and $75 for commercial. Net metering is available for up to 25 kilowatts for residential customers and 300 kilowatts for commercial customers. On a governmental level, there is a 30% federal rebate for solar system installations and property tax exemptions available for homes and businesses with solar installations. If solar installations are included and used in the area, they may qualify for any of these programs or incentives, which would reduce the startup and operating costs.
Biogas Anaerobic Digestion
Another way to generate energy and remove waste is through a Biogas Anaerobic Digestion. Quasar Energy Group in Cleveland describes their company as, “a Cleveland, Ohio-based renewable energy and organics management firm specialising in the deployment of sustainable technology solutions in agricultural, municipal and industrial applications. Collecting bio waste from agriculture, large institutions with food preparation, city biowast collections etc could provide a sustainable energy source for the area. Go HERE to learn more. Balwin Wallace in Cleveland has developed an APP to track and collect food waste on campus. Learn more Here. We could encourage all the local universities to work towards the “STARE” system. Baldwin Wallace University is an example of how our schools could be working towards food capture and gain recognition for their food service sustainability work. Learn more HERE
TRANSPORTATION
Our main goals for transportations are public, accessible, and green, such as bikes, buses, and sidewalks. Prioritising sidewalk maintenance and ADA compliance emphasises the significance of accessibility and inclusion. The implementation of pedestrian refuge islands, highly visible crosswalks, and well-timed pedestrian signals is essential for establishing a secure urban environment. Elements such as tree-lined streets, benches, pedestrian-scale illumination, and wayfinding signage, as well as public art installations, can improve the quality of urban design and create a lively public realm. Community programs that teach safe cycling practices and the benefits of cycling can inspire a transition toward sustainable transportation, thereby fostering greater social cohesion.
Public Transit
The proposed Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) system exemplifies the essential urban guiding principles of efficient land utilisation, resilience, sustainability, and inclusivity. By locating the transit centre at the intersection of Read Boulevard and Lake Forest Boulevard, existing infrastructure is utilised more efficiently. With dedicated bus lanes and transit signal priority, the BRT system ensures traffic congestion resistance. This resilience principle also applies to proposed environmental initiatives. Transitioning to electric buses as part of the city's 2022 Climate Action Plan demonstrates sustainability and readiness for a future of decarbonized transportation.
The strategic placement of BRT stations near key amenities, commercial areas, and larger residential complexes exemplifies the principle of fostering neighbourhood connectivity. Developing bike-sharing stations and electric vehicle charging stations at key transit hubs simultaneously demonstrates an intention to integrate multiple modes of transportation.
BRT stations could be built in federally-designated Opportunity Zones, which are designated by the US Treasury Department as regions with potential for development, in need of governmental support, and are eligible for tax incentives for new construction, including municipal projects. The map below shows those regions, coloured in orange, overlaid on top of the site (green).
Bike Lane
We envision the bicycle infrastructure to be completely integrated with the existing and future built environment. This requires a comprehension of the intersections of various land uses — residential, commercial, and recreational areas such as Joe Brown Park — and the creation of a bike network that seamlessly connects them all. As shown in the map below, the site (highlighted in green) contains bike lanes (in purple) connecting to a large local park (Joe Brown), but no nearby schools (marked in green text). We must also consider smaller connector paths, bike parking facilities, and integration with public transit nodes. A bicycle excursion should be able to begin at one's front door, not just at a significant thoroughfare. Accessibility also requires that the network accommodate passengers of all ages and abilities. To accomplish this, the infrastructure will include bike lanes with varying speeds, plainly marked signage and intersection crossings, and safe, secure cycle parking facilities. The presence of cycle parking facilities and the possibility of a bike-sharing program demonstrate the significance of connectivity and accessibility.
Safety, another essential principle, will be prioritised in our redevelopment strategy. This transcends the mere physical design of cycle lanes. It includes public awareness and education about bicycle safety, enforcement of traffic rules and conventions, and regular maintenance and enhancements to the bike infrastructure itself. On busy streets, for instance, we will install physical separators between bike lanes and car lanes, add distinct markings and signage for bike lanes, and design intersections that mitigate conflict between cyclists and motorists.
The bicycle infrastructure will also contribute to the development of vibrant public spaces, a fundamental principle of urban planning. The areas surrounding bike lanes and paths can be designed to encourage community interaction, interaction, and participation. For instance, we could incorporate public art into the design of the bike lanes or create cycle plazas with seating areas along the pathways.
Car Sharing
Car-sharing crosses a ZipCar rental model with the Uber driver model and offers it to a low-income community, allowing individuals to get to their job, school, doctor appointments quicker and with few challenges. This is how it could work: the city provides the car and a group of families and individuals developed a collective to share this car with one or more people specifically assigned and paid to drive the car? Members of the collective pay the driver for rides, some with government assistance. While car purchase is high, EV cars provide a low-fuel cost alternative to combustion-engine vehicles; and the fewer moving parts make it easier and less costly to repair. The National Rural Electric Cooperative Association showcases various models that are popping up around the country. Below is a map of location EV Car Cooperatives already exist.
Street Design
Street scaping provides a way for the community itself and for visitors to understand there is a unique community collectively engaged. The University of Delaware provides an interesting array of tools to develop a comprehensive plan.
Large Stakeholder Housing support and Vans
An area called University Circle - where the Cleveland Clinic, University Hospital and Case Western Reserve University are located, provides an interesting affordable housing model. While East New Orleans is not in the immediate vicinity of a major medical or educational institution, it is close enough to potentially provide affordable housing and partner-sponsored transportation to the large number of support employees that work there. If, for example, Ochsner were to promote this to its workers, provide van services to meet around the clock shifts, and the city provided housing developments with purchase and rental support, the area could generate greater population movement into the area and provide them with transportation to work.
COMMUNITY PLACES
Crime Reduction: Somerset Ave, Kensington
“Cleaning up vacant lots can reduce crime in urban communities” says John Macdonald Criminology professor at the University of Pennsylvania. “The goal was to clean up vacant land spaces and transform them. This is a project that doesn't require a lot of money from taxpayers but will require volunteers. The area they were looking at was Somerset ave in Kensington, Philadelphia. Philadelphia is the poorest of America’s large cities, Kensington is one of the poorest areas in Philly. It is also Philly’s number one crime hot spot.” In a nearby vacant lot that is well maintained there is no trash and no homeless people sleeping there but across the street it is the very opposite. The goal is to create a 5-10% reduction rate on crime. Majority of the crime in New Orleans takes place in Pine Village which is an area in New Orleans East, The median annual income of the residents in the east is about $33,000- $8,000. Poverty breeds dispiration, a lack of familial support and crime.
Connections to a Center
Designing streets, housing, and public spaces for the New Orleans East site requires the creation of a synergistic urban environment that embodies urban design principles and correlates with the city's primary objectives. Providing a “town centre or main street” where people can gather, play chess, drink coffee, hear music and do some basic shopping would be ideal. Having a regular farmer’s market and community craft sales would build community and provide needed resources.
With the street layout, the primary goal is to establish a network that is user-friendly and facilitates multiple modes of transportation. To meet the city's objective of reducing emissions, streets that prioritise green and active modes of transportation would be designed with special care. 'Transit-first' street design will be implemented, providing dedicated lanes and simple access for the proposed Bus Rapid Transit system.
The strategy should also support mixed-use development of accommodation. As permitted by the local zoning regulations, residential buildings could be constructed above ground-floor commercial spaces along the main corridors. Furthermore, the design would include both single-family and multi-family dwellings. To accomplish the city's objective of providing affordable housing, it would be beneficial to take advantage of the Voluntary Inclusionary Zoning ordinance's incentives.
The design of communal spaces is essential for fostering a vibrant and cohesive community. Existing public assets, such as Joe Brown Park and the New Orleans East Regional Library, would serve as focal points around which vibrant public spaces would be developed. In addition, smaller gathering areas would be dispersed throughout the residential areas to serve as communal backyards where individuals can rest, socialise, and participate in community activities. Green spaces would mitigate the city's heat island effect and manage stormwater discharge by integrating shade trees, rain gardens, and natural drainage lagoons. Mini-plazas with seating, bike parking, and local artwork could be designed around transit stations to encourage use of public transportation.
Community facilities should be designed to serve as emergency shelters during extreme weather events, complete with fallback electricity supplies and resources. Several principles must be followed when designing for hurricane and inundation resistance.
One of the most important measures in flood-prone areas is elevating structures. This may involve elevating the building on pilings or constructing a "floodable" ground floor that can withstand intermittent inundation. This methodology could be applied to both single-family and multifamily dwellings.
Buildings should be constructed with materials that can withstand severe climatic conditions. These may consist of reinforced concrete, marine-grade plywood, and weather-resistant coatings.
The incorporation of green infrastructure can aid in stormwater management and reduce flooding. This may include rain gardens, bioswales, permeable paving, and green roofs, which all help absorb precipitation and reduce runoff.
Wind-Resistant Design: To withstand high winds during hurricanes, building designs should minimise large flat surfaces and pointed corners where wind pressure can build up.
As mentioned in the transportation section, connecting these units to pedestrian and bicycle infrastructure is essential for promoting active transportation. This may entail "complete streets" that include sidewalks, bike lanes, and green space, or discrete pedestrian and bicycle paths that wind throughout the neighbourhood. Active transportation routes should be made as inviting as feasible by incorporating traffic calming measures and pedestrian-friendly design elements, such as benches, shelter trees, and secure street crossings.
Circular Resources
There are many options for the creation of circular resources in this neighborhood starting off with composting and collecting food scraps and organic waste. Organisations including The Composting Network, Greenlight Nola, CompostNOW, and ZeroWaste are all non-profit groups that want to expand composting in New Orleans. Glass Half Full is another organisation that makes compost starter/top soil containing recycled glass to replace sand. Glass Half Full’s goal is to redirect glass from the landfill by turning bottles into sand to be used in restoration and community building projects. Another environmental non-profit group includes Coalition to Restore Coastal Louisiana, whose goal is to divert oyster shells from restaurant partners to rebuild coastlines. As of June 6, 2023 every 50 lbs of oyster shell recycled at restaurants has a new tax deductible.
Gardens
Large urban farms have been gaining support and success. The Ohio City Gardens is the largest urban farm in Cleveland and has been producing food since 2010. The University of Maine provides a blueprint for developing a successful community garden program. In New Orleans Organizations like BGN-NOLA, Go Green NOLA, and Crown Community are all focused on building community gardens in East New Orleans.
Year Round Growing to Address Food Desert
Providing ways for local residents to grow community gardens can be an effective way to address food insecurity. There are two looming challenges, though; 1. Many low income people don’t have the time to tend to a garden. They are often working long hours or multiple jobs, 2. Seasonality produces a wealth of produce at one certain time of year and none in the other times. A food producing cooperative could be a solution - using Crate Farms at-home parents or seniors could assist in the daily work. Crops can be developed year-round to meet the collective’s weekly and monthly needs.
Photo 1 Freight Farms Photo 2 Freight Farms
GREEN INFRASTRUCTURE
Native Plants
Medians and neutral grounds can contain native plants coverage, thus encouraging recruitment of local flora and fauna, increasing natural weathering of storms, and creating habitat as well as more green space in our site. Docville Farm has been known to supply plants for projects of this nature as well as the Nature Conservancy.
Permeable Pavement Parking Lots
Changing parking lot pavements to permeable pavements and adding other green infrastructure is an excellent way to reduce city heat and flooding. Permeable Pavers allow water to penetrate the ground and reach the soil beneath it, while shading trees help absorb CO2 and shade reducing the temperature. By implementing permeable pavers use a combination of interlocking grids that are laid over a prepared subsurface and one of several fill materials, such as gravel or crushed limestone. Once the fill material is compacted into the grids, it creates a strong, durable parking surface that is virtually maintenance free. These also have a longer durability than concrete and asphalt with a lower maintenance required and are more cost efficient. Some of the parking lots already have slots for trees that are not producing enough shade, to change that we would implement native trees. For slots wider than 4’ inches we could use Nuttall Oak, Bald Cypress, Dahoon Holly, ‘Little Gem’ Magnolia, or Sweetbay Magnolia. SOUL is a non profit tree planting initiative that plants trees across the city that would provide the trees and labour for the planting. In parking lots where tree spaces are not sufficient, a reorganisation of the area would be needed to accommodate the shading trees.
To combine all the essential changes that have been priorly stated it is essential for a green infrastructure parking lot to prioritise pedestrian safety, having bike racks, and using full cutoff energy-efficient light fixtures with solar energy. One bike rack per 20,000 square feet of gross floor area, separate and safe walkways using permeable pavement, and solar energised light fixtures. All of these changes will make it safer for people and the environment in this area. There are a few places where this will be especially beneficial such as the two parking lots on Lake Forest Blvd. and Crowder Blvd. for crystal plaza and the Dollar General, as well as Lake Forest Blvd. and Bundy Rd. at the U.S. Postal Service.
HOUSING
All apartment buildings would be designed to foster a sense of community and protection, such as front porches and street-facing windows, shared verdant spaces within housing complexes, and readily accessible community facilities. All housing designs would incorporate energy-efficient building materials, solar panel installations, and efficient stormwater management systems. High-rise structures may also be suitable, they must be resistant to adverse weather and they must be carefully integrated to avoid producing barriers or shadows. The optimal strategy would entail a combination of building types, designed and positioned to satisfy the requirements of the community, withstand environmental challenges, and promote sustainable transportation.
Hurricane Proof
Traditional home designs were not intended to resist a hurricane or flooding. But new designs are being developed that take into account the wind and water dynamics. East New Orleans could become a showcase for the development of properties specifically designed to withstand the pending storms we all know are continuing. Deltic Homes has developed a more circular design and roofing that does not have easily ripped off shingles.
Multi-income
Multi-income housing provides the area with the ability to build a balanced tax base and a range of support resources for the entire community. Charlotte North Carolina developed a mixed income housing track using CDFI funds.
Services for multi-incomes: This means that there is also a range of services and resources that can be accessed by various financial groups. For example there may be restaurants that work with at-risk youth like Cafe Rencenile in New Orleans, or the Edwins Leadership and Restaurant Institute in Cleveland that trains reentry workers in the hospitality businesses.
GREEN JOBS
Cooperative worker owned businesses
The Cleveland Evergreen Cooperative provides a model for business development that can enable low-income and/or reentry workers good paying jobs and the opportunity to build an equity stake in the company they are working for. “The Evergreen Cooperatives of Cleveland have become a global innovation model for creating more sustainable regional economies. Local residents earn an ownership stake as they create thriving businesses, while playing a transformational role in building vibrant neighborhoods.” www.evgoh.com. The largest hydroponic farm, a commercial laundry and a solar installation company were the initial businesses. They are for-profit businesses started with support from the local nonprofits for the loan guarantees and contracting with leading anchor businesses like The Cleveland Clinic, Heinen’s grocery etc. Other examples can be found in Spain’s Mondragon’s region which has the largest number of cooperative businesses in the world.
Photo: Members (worker/owners) of the Evergreen Energy Solutions Company.
Agriculture
A way to develop jobs, provide fresh food year-round is through the development of Controlled Environment Agriculture (CEA) businesses. With the challenges facing California and other south western states, there is an opportunity for New Orleans to leverage its access to water, wind, sun and geothermal energy to develop a robust CEA industry. CEA companies include vertical farms like Aerofarms and Greenhouse farms. In 2005 the Netherlands’ Food Valley focused on connecting farmers, technology companies, public and investor funds, and higher education. Within 15 years they became the second largest agricultural exporter in the world next to the United States. Could New Orleans have a similar opportunity with the changes being driven by global warming? Photo: Aerofarms, Photo: Netherland’s greenhouses
