I-10 Corridor & Neighborhood Study
City of New Orleans, Louisiana, New Orleans, LA
Reclaiming the Claiborne Corridor: Linking transportation with revitalization in the heart of New Orleans
Funded by federal grants, the Livable Claiborne Communities Study linked an analysis of alternatives to the I-10 urban highway viaduct in the center of New Orleans with an integrated community revitalization plan for the surrounding neighborhoods. One of many urban highways built in the 1960s, the viaduct was built above Claiborne Avenue, dividing historic neighborhoods that gave birth to the city’s distinctive cultural traditions; destroying a wide, oak-filled median; and hastening the decline of a once-thriving African-American commercial district. The study included a robust public participation component and was guided by community goals. Working as part of a team led by transportation Kittleson & Associates, Goody Clancy prepared a study that included:
- Land use scenarios and visualizations for housing, mixed use development, and commercial development for each transportation alternative
- Urban design guidelines for different segments of the corridor
- Strategies to ensure affordable housing integrated with a revitalization program
- Green infrastructure to mitigate flooding and programs to support indigenous cultural expression (such as Mardi Gras Indian groups)
IMPLEMENTATION
- In fall 2013, the city appointed two people as staff for a newly-created a Livable Claiborne Communities Initiative to begin coordination and implementation of the study’s recommendations.
