BASIN Update November 2025

A huge THANK YOU!!! To all who attended our culminating presentations. The event was a huge success! We’re so pleased that folks from the Department of Public Works, Sewerage & Water Board, the Office of Resilience and Sustainability, and GNOF could come listen to our kids’ ideas for the future of intersections they care about. 

One group offered suggestions to include green infrastructure in a suite of solutions for a dangerous intersection where one group member sees lots of traffic crashes and more near misses. The group proposed curb bumpouts hosting rain gardens, trees to narrow the field of vision, and the cleaning of massively clogged storm drains. The group also requested a traffic study to make the intersection a four-way stop and better striping. It’s worth noting that partners Rebuilding Together New Orleans have submitted a grant for us to partner to make this project a reality.

The other group took up the challenge of a group of streets ending at Leon C. Simon across from the University of New Orleans. Flood water is dumped off the levee and stays in the adjacent blocks. The kids think the green space between the levee and the street provides the perfect opportunity to create more urban habitat by planting trees in a bioswale, and to create community space with a permeable playground. The proposal includes thoughtful details like a solar bench with a charging station and bird houses. The proposal inspired deep and lengthy conversation amongst the adults about the agency responsible for the space, past uses, other potential cobenefits, and where they could find funding to work together to make it happen.

We knew our kids were up to something special, but were blown away by the response. Parents in attendance were equally proud, and so were the kids. When asked if they would attend BASIN next year, one boy said, “Yes. I want to help make New Orleans a better place.”

We’re thrilled he feels that way, and that he sees BASIN as a way to do that.