Portland State University PDXScholar Urban Studies and Planning Faculty Nohad A. Toulan School of Urban Studies and Publications and Presentations Planning 1-2007 A People's Plan for Overcoming the Hurricane Katrina Blues: A Comprehensive Strategy for Building a More Vibrant, Sustainable, and Equitable 9th Ward Richard Hayes Ken Reardon Lisa K. Bates Portland State University, [email protected] Follow this and additional works at: https://pdxscholar.library.pdx.edu/usp_fac Part of the Urban Studies Commons, and the Urban Studies and Planning Commons Let us know how access to this document benefits ou.y Citation Details Hayes, Richard; Reardon, Ken; and Bates, Lisa K., "A People's Plan for Overcoming the Hurricane Katrina Blues: A Comprehensive Strategy for Building a More Vibrant, Sustainable, and Equitable 9th Ward" (2007). 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T H E P E O P L E ‘ S P L A N f o r o v e r c o m i n g t h e h u r r i c a n e k a t r i n a b l u e s a comprehensive strategy for building a more vibrant, sustainable, and equitable 9th Ward ACORN Housing University Partnership ACORN C O N T E N T S f o r w a r d 03 p h y s i c a l d e s c r i p t i o n • “The Ninth Ward” – Districts 7 and 8 04 • Bywater, Desire, Desire Development, Florida, Florida Development, Lower Ninth Ward, Marigny, St. Claude, St. Roch b a r r i e r s t o r e t u r n • lack of schools, hospitals, seniors centers, daycare centers 05 • poor policing • inadequate public transportation l a n d u s e • existing land use and settlement patterns 07 • human scale neighborhoods served by small business • everybody has a right to return h o u s i n g 09 09 housing damage 10 housing actions 11 house rebuilding 13 building recovery 14 re-occupancy 15 possible housing choices 17 delery housing development e c o n o m i c d e v e l o p m e n t 19 • business corridors survey • modular housing factory and YouthBuild grant • commercial corridors development 01 THE PEOPLE’S PLAN p a r k s a n d p l a y g r o u n d s 21 • parks and playgrounds survey • desire park • railway park e d u c a t i o n 23 • education challenges • immediate and short term opportunities i n f r a s t r u c t u r e 25 • street conditions • street and traffic signage • repair and rehabilitation 29 a r t s, c u l t u r e, h i s t o r y 27 • celebrating neighborhood arts and history • st. roch market re-development a b o u t u s 29 02 Cornell University Columbia University ACORN Housing Policy (Washington, DC) University of Illinois - Urbana-Champaign ACORN Housing (Chicago, Illinois) ACORN (New Orleans, Louisiana) f o r w a r d Overall Development Goal and Objectives: Create a more vibrant, sustainable and equitable 9th Ward that offers former and current resi- dents, business owners, and institutional leaders a higher quality of life and attracts new resi- dents and investors eager to participate in an unprecedented revitalization of one of America’s most historically, culturally, and socially significant urban communities. The Peoples’ Plan is a strategic action plan for the recovery of the 9th Ward. We’ve created it based on conversations with residents – some struggling to return home, others intent on remaining in a neighborhood that has always been there own. The Peoples’ Plan provides a thorough assessment of what must be done to provide recovery in one of the hardest hit areas of the City, and provides a recovery model for all badly flooded areas. Our Plan seeks to transform the 9th Ward as it is rebuilt. The proposed transformation will be resident-driven and will provide improved employment opportunities, better education programs as well as greater access to healthcare, childcare and numerous other community services. planning district 7 planning district 8 Research informing the People’s Plan: • Evaluated more than 3,500 individual parcels and buildings to determine their structural integrity and rehabilitation potential. • Interviewed representatives of more than 230 households to determine the highest- priority redevelopment needs of the neighborhood. • Surveyed five of the 9th Ward’s most important commercial corridors to determine the current level of business activity. • Reviewed 29 public plans examining past and future conditions within the 9th Ward. • Studied and compared recent economic, population, employment, income, and housing trends within the 9th Ward. • Inspected 15 of the 9th Ward’s most important educational, cultural, civic, and health- related facilities to determine their structural integrity and potential for reuse. • Evaluated 28 city-owned open spaces to establish their current facilities, maintenance levels, and use. • Surveyed more than 12 civic organizations located in the 9th Ward regarding their preferred redevelopment strategies and recommended revitalization projects. 03 “Let the neighborhood decide what they want.” “This is the family! Everybody helps everybody else, all you gotta do is ask.” 9th Ward Residents THE PEOPLE’S PLAN p h y s i c a l d e s c r i p t i o n Located downriver from the French Quarter in the southeastern quadrant of the city, the 9th Ward is bounded by Esplanade, Elysian Fields and Florida Avenues to the west, Chef Menteur and Interstate 610 to the north, the St. Bernard’s Parish border to the east, and the Mississippi River to the south. N planning district 7 planning district 8 Our planning work covers the 7th and 8th planning districts, which approximates the historic boundaries of the Upper and Lower 9th Ward. Since few residents recognize the planning district boundar- ies as meaningful areas, we decided to use the term “9th Ward” to describe our focus area even though it is not geographically exact. n e i g h b o r h o o d s e l e v a t i o n k a t r i n a f l o o d e x t e n t 04 Contrary to popular belief, a significant por- Levee failure and flood damage resulted from tion of the 9th Ward is located on the alluvial heavy rainfall and winds as New Orleans was plain of the Mississippi river, which is well brushed by an arm of the hurricane. In the above sea level. 9th Ward, flooding extended to St. Claude Avenue and engulfed lower neighborhoods. Only blocks immediately adjacent to the Mis- sissippi levee were spared. b a r r i e r s t o r e t u r n resident survey When queried about the types of services residents public transit needed to return to their neighborhood, survey results Public transportation services in New Orleans before Katrina were indicate that residents placed a high priority on the fairly good, with buses and light rail need for schools, medical facilities, public transporta- cars spanning most of the city. Cur- rently, only 49% of all public trans- tion, community and recreational facilities, parks and portation routes, and only 17% of bus routes are operational. playgrounds, affordable housing and grocery stores. What do you feel you need to have before you can return? education In December 2006, only 49% of New Orleans former public schools were open (as opposed to 74% at the regional level). In the 9th Ward, only three public schools reopened. safety Only one police sub-station sits in the Upper 9th Ward, none in the Lower 9th Ward. While members of the New Orleans Police Depart- ment and the National Guard regu- larly drive through the neighbor- hood, residents believe they made little effort to develop the kind of relationships with local residents needed to form an effective com- munity-based crime prevention program. Fire stations appear to be appropriately located through- out the neighborhood in order to assure reasonable emergency re- sponse times. 05 What things or services does the neighborhood need before you can return to it? THE PEOPLE’S PLAN new orleans operational public transit: b a r r i e r s t o r e t u r n the brookings institution (feb. ‘07) I 10 o p e r a t i o n a l b u s r o u t e s (march ‘07) Franklin Ave. 64 Miro St. Galvez St. I 10 84 57 88 5 St. Claude Ave. Royal St. Elysian Fields Elysian Poland St. new orleans schools in operation: Aycock St. the brookings institution (feb. ‘07) o p e n e d s c h o o l s (march ‘07) Almonaster Ave. Franklin Ave. Franklin St. Claude Ave. new orleans hospitals in operation: the brookings institution (feb. ‘07) p o l i c e a n d f i r e s t a t i o n s I 10 f i r e s t a t i o n s p o l i c e s t a t i o n s Almonaster Ave.