Support The Urban Conservancy

New Orleans has it, and The Urban Conservancy is working hard to make sure it always does.

Many thanks to all who helped sustain our efforts by celebrating them at our first annual Conservator Party on Thursday, October 23, 2008, at Massey’s Professional Outfitters.

Over 100 attendees enjoyed scrumptious and plentiful local food, drink and music, and silent auction items including Saints tickets, local art, and certificates to great local eateries. Special thanks go to major event sponsors Abita Brewing Company, Becca and Gregor Fox, Civic Economics, Dirty Coast, HRH Media, Massey’s Professional Outfitters, NOLA Smart Wire, Open Door Company, and RGB.

The evening highlight was a private preview screening of the documentary Independent America: Rising from Ruins by director Hanson Hosein of HRH Media in partnership with Open Door. This film documents the risks New Orleans’ small business owners took in resurrecting their neighborhoods after Katrina and their resilience and commitment in the face of current challenges. Filmmaker and producer Hanson Hosein was on hand to discuss.

With your support over the last year,

• UC expanded Stay Local.org, now over 1400 businesses strong, to raise the visibility of locally-owned businesses with a free online web listing and to raise public awareness of the cultural, economic, and environmental benefits of shopping locally;

• UC expanded its Stay Local! Neighborhood Guide & Map project to include directories for Plaquemines Parish, Maple Street, Oak Street, the Riverbend area and the Carrollton corridor, and reprinted an updated Old Algiers guide;

• UC supported organizations and traditional commercial corridors throughout the city with technical assistance including partnerships resulting in continued economic growth along corridors granted Main St. designations, and the development of the Lafitte Corridor as a linear green space, representing over $500,000 in direct funding for sustainable development in New Orleans;

• UC updated our award-winning website to more effectively continue educating the community on best practices and current issues related to the urban fabric;

• UC collaborated with HRH Media and Open Door Company on filmmaker Hanson Hosein’s documentary: Independent America: Rising from Ruins, documenting New Orleans’ small business owners, their role in the city’s recovery after Katrina, and their resilience in the face of current challenges.

• UC convened, presented and participated in over 30 conferences, meetings, boards and working groups with state and local government representatives, businesses, and NGOs to expand on earlier work and to represent UC’s positions.

Thank you for partnering with The Urban Conservancy to celebrate, strengthen and conserve New Orleans’ one-of-a-kind, irreplaceable urban fabric.