News
Rebuilding Locally-Owned Businesses
Feb 2 2006
Many UC members and supporters will recall that prior to Katrina, we launched our StayLocal! Project to support locally-owned businesses. We are happy to report that our work with local businesses continues and is evolving as we rebuild our city.
As part of our efforts, The Urban Conservancy is partnering with students and faculty from the University of Missouri-Kansas City’s (UMKC) urban planning program to determine how our vital neighborhood commercial corridors can both participate in and benefit from the revitalization of the surrounding communities.
A special interest of the UMKC team leaders Jake Wagner and Vince Gauthier is developing an action plan to facilitate the restoration of the city’s economy through neighborhood redevelopment organized around key heritage tourism sites outside of the French Quarter and Warehouse District (learn more).
What might this look like in practice? Touring the devastated North Carrolton Ave. area of Mid-City this past weekend, UC staff, the UMKC team, and Billy Fields of Rails to Trails explored the possibility converting the Lafitte rail corridor (Old Basin Canal) into a biking path and linear park.
Successful implementation of this project would simultaneously achieve a number of positive outcomes. It would provide safe and convenient bicycle travel between Mid-City and Downtown. It would allow tourists to easily and safely explore another neighborhood in the city on foot or by bike thus spreading valuable revenue to another part of the city. It would positvely connect Mid-City, Treme, and The French Quarter around a shared amenity. And if properly designed it could function as part of an integrated storm water system helping to reduce flooding in the city.
This is just one example from one neighborhood. If you are interested in partnering with The Urban Conservancy to help locally-owned businesses in your neighborhood participate in the rebuilding, contact us with your ideas.
Filed under: Projects | Rebuilding New Orleans | Stay Local
Replies
ze said:
I hope they treat our neighborhood better than UMKC treated theirs - they demolished quantities of beautiful old houses, an entire historic neighborhood, in Kansas City — just to expand their campus! There had to have been a better solution.
Feb 14 2006
4:47 PM
David Crais said:
The Trail idea is a great one. The area is ideal for access to the city from the closest suburbs. When the area is cleaned up it would also make a nice venue for a green market and artist market.
Feb 14 2006
6:53 PM
Jacob Wagner said:
Re: Ze’s comments about UMKC’s impact on historic neighborhoods…
I just would like everyone to know that neither I nor the Urban Planning and Design program at UMKC were involved in the campus planning here in Kansas City.
Further, our program is located in a historic home that we have adapted for reuse as class rooms and planning studios.
As the lead instructor for this course - I hope I might address your concerns by letting you know that I teach historic preservation and am deeply concerned about the preservation and restoration of New Orleans neighborhoods. I lived in New Orleans for 5 years and graduated from CUPA.
I hope our partnership with the Urban Conservancy, the Preservation Resource Center, and other conservation-minded folks also helps to address your concerns.
Feb 15 2006
11:29 AM