Urban Studies and Planning Commons^™

Pedestrians And Bicyclists Count : Developing A Statewide Multimodal Count Program, Tara M. Tolford, Maryam Izadi, Colin Ash, Julius Codjoe

UNO Transportation Institute Publications

The purpose of this study was to research best practices and available methods and technologies for measuring active transportation activity, in order to provide DOTD with needed information in support of the development of an efficient, cost-effective bicycle and pedestrian count program. Measuring progress toward Complete Streets policy implementation, as well as measuring the performance of individual projects in terms of safety outcomes, requires understanding patterns of and changes in active transportation demand so as to a) evaluate safety outcomes relative to rates of exposure, b) identify appropriate, context-sensitive complete streets infrastructure interventions, and c) understanding overall statewide and location-specific …

Analysis Of Spirit Of Charity Innovation District: Community Engagement, Development & Planning, Michelle M. Thompson Phd, Gisp, Adriana Bennett, Ashley Goodrich, Hoang Tao

Planning and Urban Studies Reports and Presentations

The purpose of this project is to give an overview of history, background, planning process of the Spirit of Charity Innovation District and the upcoming development of the former Charity Hospital Building.

Purpose of content analysis is to evaluate all forms of documents and articles available to see what major themes are discussed and carried out to get a sense of what qualities are the most important in the SCID.

Neighborhood Development Foundation: Homebuyer Locations And Purchase Dates In New Orleans (La) And Nearby Metro Parishes, 1986-2017, Michelle M. Thompson Phd, Gisp, Brittney Moore, Jennie Garcia

Planning and Urban Studies Reports and Presentations

The New America Public Interest Technology “Financial Inclusion & Citizen Participation” (FI&CP) project is focused on evaluating the public and private financial policies, tools and practice (FPTP) that impact the ability for people to increase their personal and family wealth. The FI&CP is evaluating the PFTP case study cities of New York (Bronx City), Chicago, IL, New Orleans, LA, and St. Louis, MO using big and small/community data to identify use and access to financial services such as credit cards and mortgages. The New Orleans case study focuses on p3GIS (public and private participation geographic information systems) in a dynamic …

Land Use Planning & Historic Preservation Property Assessment Tool In New Orleans: The Algiers Main Street Demonstration Project, Michelle M. Thompson Phd, Gisp, Ian Butler-Severson, William Cespedes, Nicole J. Coleman, John Flemister

Planning and Urban Studies Reports and Presentations

Service-learning is a critical component of the student-centered education model at the University of New Orleans (UNO). For students to apply their knowledge activities within, classes are developed to provide technical service and experiential knowledge for community organizations. In the fall of 2017 students in the MURP 4050/5050 “Urban Land Use Planning & Plan Making” course combined their recently acquired knowledge of how policy affects the use of applying new planning tools in practice. Specifically, the course focused on the application of Federal and State policies for identifying and evaluating the significance of properties under Historic Preservation (HP) guidelines. This …

Evacuation And Return: Increasing Safety And Reducing Risk, The University Of New Orleans Center For Hazards Assessment, Response & Technology

CHART Publications

The City of New Orleans enlisted UNO-CHART to improve the evacuation of the vulnerable populations in the city, defined broadly to include those who are not able to access or use the standard resources offered in disaster preparedness and planning, response, and recovery. To do this, UNO-CHART analyzed the Regional Transit Authority (RTA), the City Assisted Evacuation Plan (CAEP) and Special Needs Registry databases, conducted a literature review of risk communication best practices, reviewed ready.nola.gov for content and readability, conducted a social vulnerability analysis of the Evacuspots, conducted interviews and focus groups with vulnerable populations in the City of New …

Findings For The Placement Of Tiny Houses In New Orleans, Michelle M. Thompson Phd, Gisp, Jennie Garcia

Planning and Urban Studies Reports and Presentations

This report are the findings of research on Tiny Houses in the City of New Orleans. This project looks at the issues related to how and/or if ‘prefabricated’ housing is defined by housing type, conforms to zoning and is valued (by the assessor and private banks) in the New Orleans market. The case study will summarize existing and proposed ordinances that relate to the design and siting requirements for houses on wheels and without. The definition of tiny houses built by Preservation Tiny House Company falls into the category of ‘mobile homes’ or ‘trailers’ which many manufactured houses are considered. …

Culture, Design, And Identity: An Analysis Of The French Market District, Department Of Planning And Urban Studies, University Of New Orleans

Planning and Urban Studies Reports and Presentations

This report provides an analysis of the current conditions of the French Market District (the District), and the UNO-PLUS team’s recommendations for improvement. Methods of analyses include site visits, pedestrian and traffic counts, mapping, and review of the City of New Orleans’ Comprehensive Zoning Ordinance.

Protecting The Future By Preserving The Past: A Report To The St. John The Baptist Parish Historic Preservation Study Committee, Department Of Planning And Urban Studies, University Of New Orleans

Planning and Urban Studies Reports and Presentations

St. John the Baptist Parish is home to a considerable amount of historic landmarks and neighborhoods. Presently, sixteen properties throughout St. John and the national historic district of Garyville are listed on the National Register of Historic Places (NRHP). Although prestigious, this mostly honorary recognition provides limited legal protections for their preservation (Miller, 2008). As a result, St. John the Baptist Parish has lost a significant amount of historic property. A program to protect the parish’s significant historic and cultural landmarks can help preserve and revitalize areas of established historic value and capitalize on existing parish assets. In fall 2016, …

Community Corridors Bright Futures: Old Algiers Main Street, Department Of Planning And Urban Studies, University Of New Orleans, Department Of Planning And Urban Studies, University Of New Orleans

Planning and Urban Studies Reports and Presentations

Located just across the river from the French Quarter, Old Algiers is the second oldest neighborhood in New Orleans and is just fifteen minutes from downtown. Since the 1960s, the neighborhood has suffered from disinvestment and lost residents, jobs, and commercial activity, while the proportion of vacant and underutilized lots has grown. Because it did not flood during Hurricane Katrina, Old Algiers did not benefit from many of the public and private resources that helped rebuild and re-energize other parts of the city. Currently, its proximity to downtown, relatively affordable real estate, and rich cultural history make it a prime …

Are We There Yet? New Paths For Newcity Youth, Department Of Planning And Urban Studies, University Of New Orleans

Planning and Urban Studies Reports and Presentations

The University of New Orleans’ Spring 2016 Community Development Finance Practicum conducted this study to help the NEWCITY Neighborhood Partnership understand the state of youth in the neighborhoods it brings together. This analysis is a preliminary step in understanding the breadth and depth of key issues that youth face. The report reviews the area’s demographics, examines data on area schools and students, explores issues surrounding health and recreation in the area, and analyzes youth workforce development opportunities.

Incubating Success: Building Capacity For Minority Social Entrepreneurs In Central City, New Orleans, Department Of Planning And Urban Studies, University Of New Orleans

Planning and Urban Studies Reports and Presentations

Since Hurricane Katrina, entrepreneurial activity in New Orleans has grown faster than the national average (Plyer, Ortiz, Horwitz, & Hobor, 2013). Nationally, however, there is an overall lack of minority startups that are backed by venture capital (Schmid, 2015). These disparities are evident in New Orleans as well (Walker, 2014). The Foundation for Louisiana (FFL) and Camelback Ventures (Camelback) seek to address this issue through the creation of an empowerment incubator for minority entrepreneurs near the LaSalle St. corridor in Central City, New Orleans.

To this end, FFL and Camelback commissioned the UNO-PLUS Community Development Finance Capstone team to examine …

Understanding The Uptown Triangle Neighborhood: Mapping Quality Of Life Indicators In The Black Pearl, Michelle M. Thompson Phd, Gisp, Tori Berliner, Jessi Boney, Angela De Melo, Cathleen Campbell, Anthony Couvillon, Tarynn Dunn, Florence Djoleto, Jennie Garcia, Kelsea Hundtoft, Syed Islam, Reynaldo Johnson, Taylor Jones, Matt Loftis, Travis Martin, Eric Pate, Johannes Schmid, Lindsey Smith, Nicholas Sorrells, Kathryn Sullivan, Deneka Vallius

Planning and Urban Studies Reports and Presentations

In the spring of 2015, University of New Orleans (UNO) students enrolled in the MURP 4081/5081 course-Applied Geographic Information Systems: Information Technology for the Planning Profession (also known as ‘Applied GIS’) led by Dr. Michelle Thompson. Since 2008 this course has provided students with a blended experience with learning the theory and receiving an introduction to spatial analysis using the Environmental Systems Research Institute (ESRI) ArcGIS software then applying this knowledge as GIS Analysts with a non-profit community partner. In the fall of 2014, Dr. Thompson competed to have this course designated as the inaugural Department of Planning and Urban …

Public Participation Gis And Neighbourhood Recovery: Using Community Mapping For Economic Development, Michelle M. Thompson Phd, Gisp

Planning and Urban Studies Faculty Publications

In 2005, New Orleans, Louisiana experienced an interruption in its neighborhood life cycle due to Hurricane Katrina. While federal, state and local administrative policies have tried to manage the process of recovery, the non-profit sector has been a key to the recovery. This paper will examine the case study of the Beacon of Hope Resource Centre (BOH) whose ability to collect data, expand citizen engagement and influence policy made a positive impact upon economic development through public participation geographic information systems (PPGIS) with the Regional Planning Commission and the Department of Planning and Urban Studies, University of New Orleans. This …

Resilient And Regenerative Design In New Orleans: The Case Of The Make It Right Project, Amy Oliver, Isabelle Thomas, Michelle M. Thompson

Planning and Urban Studies Faculty Publications

According to Swiss Re, there are currently approximately 180 urban disasters globally per year. Hurricane Katrina demonstrated the vulnerability of cities and the ability of humans to exacerbate the magnitude and intensity of man-made and/or natural hazards. The changes produced after a disaster can imply multiple adverse impacts including health risks, disruption to energy and water supply, and ecological imbalances. Post-disaster reconstruction, in this context, provides not only the necessity for a community to return to its pre-disaster state, but as Burby states, a “window of opportunity” to enhance resilience, and, in essence, to ‘regenerate’. These ‘windows of opportunity’ allow …

Fighting Blight Through Innovative Financing, Department Of Planning And Urban Studies, University Of New Orleans

Planning and Urban Studies Reports and Presentations

In spring 2014, The New Orleans Redevelopment Authority (NORA) requested that the UNO-PLUS Community Development Finance Capstone Study Team research creative funding mechanisms to finance the upfront investments required for large-scale blight reduction efforts. Specifically, NORA tasked the study team with identifying mechanisms to finance the title clearance services necessary for property disposition and the infrastructure investments required to implement cost-reducing alternative land management strategies for 310 properties. Our analysis found that of these 310 properties, NORA acquired 295 through expropriation and 15 through adjudication. This report presents NORA with four distinct strategies for the effective dispo­sition of these 310 …

Whodata 2014 Project Newsletter, Whodata.Org

Planning and Urban Studies Reports and Presentations

No abstract provided.

Historic Faubourg Tremé Association Property Mapping & Analysis, Department Of Planning And Urban Studies, University Of New Orleans

Planning and Urban Studies Reports and Presentations

No abstract provided.

Freight Down The Middle: Neighborhood Impacts And The New Orleans Middle Belt Rail Proposal, Department Of Planning And Urban Studies, University Of New Orleans

Planning and Urban Studies Reports and Presentations

The purpose of the “Freight Down the Middle” study is to assess the potential outcomes for New Orleans neighborhoods Hollygrove and Dixon residents if the Middle Belt option is implemented. The study analyzes current regulations, established data on health impacts, engineering specifications, demonstrated mitigation measures, and case studies to illustrate possible impacts on the neighborhoods. The study area focuses specifically on Hollygrove and Dixon, and statistical data at the census tract level is used to give context to the risk factors inherent to the population groups in the area.

The Claiborne Corridor: Mid-Anchor Business Profiles 2014, Michelle M. Thompson, Laura Banos, Brittish Bostic-Bryant, Tiffany Campo, Rexter Chambers, Derreck Deason, Taryn Dunn, Taylor Jones, Tyinna Jones, Sarah Larock, Matthew Loftis, Grace Major, Rene Pastorek, Eric Pate, Brooke Perry, Yang Ran, Amanda Shine, Amy Ulmer, Teira Woodridge

Planning and Urban Studies Reports and Presentations

The New Orleans Business Alliance and the Mayor’s Office of Place-based Planning are working closely with the Livable Claiborne Communities Initiatives to encourage the maintenance, development and expansion of businesses throughout the city with a special focus on the LCC. The reports that follow identify mid-anchor businesses that have contributed to the social and economic wealth of the City of New Orleans for, in some cases, hundreds of years. The hope is that these businesses will be supported through new City initiatives to improve façades, marketability and expand employment opportunities. The research and resources provided by the students at UNO …

Walking In The City, Renia Ehrenfeucht, Justice Mcpherson

UNOTI Publications

Motivated by traffic congestion, excessive energy use and poor health outcomes, planning and public health researchers have developed an extensive body of research that examines walking and other active transport as well as walking for recreation. In different discussions, walking has become a newly interesting subject and method to understand urban (and non urban) life, and a growing number of researchers have sought to understa nd mobility, the social experience and functions of walking and its cultural meanings. These areas of research rarely overlap. The latter has the potential for enriching the research about active travel and physical activity and, …

Worker Experiences Of Accessibility In Post-Katrina New Orleans, Kate Lowe, Mariana E. Marmol

UNOTI Publications

Existing research has identified transportation challenges that low-income workers face, including a spatial mismatch between suburban entry level-jobs and urban low-income workers. These studies rely on travel models and secondary data and thus may not capture the temporal or other constraints that low-income workers experience. To better understand mobility patterns and accessibility as experienced, this analysis considers commute choices and perceptions of accessibility. Findings are based on open-ended surveys with 50 low-income workers in New Orleans and its inner suburbs. According to a sizable share of respondents (40%), transportation problems do not preclude applying to jobs. Black and centrally located …

Transit-Oriented Development: An Examination Of America’S Transit Precincts In 2000 & 2010, John L. Renne, Reid Ewing

UNOTI Publications

This study creates a typology of all fixed transit precincts across the United States to categorize all stations as either a Transit Oriented Development (TOD), Transit Adjacent Development (TAD) or hybrid. This typology is based on an index that accounts for density, land use diversity and walkable design. This study also presents a separate non-typological multilevel, multivariate analysis of transit commuting and the built environment, which is unique in that it is the first national study of transit station precincts of its kind to control for both regional and neighborhood level variables. The findings lend support for the TOD concept …

Creative Capitalization: A Strategic Investment Plan For The Crescent City Community Land Trust, Department Of Planning And Urban Studies, University Of New Orleans

Planning and Urban Studies Reports and Presentations

This report outlines an investment strategy to guide the Crescent City Community Land Trust (CCCLT) in the use of its capital investment fund, the Crescent City Futures Fund. The Fund will provide seed money for development projects in order to incentivize public and private entities to invest funds in projects that target low-to-moderate income (LMI) residents. Since the Fund’s monies are limited, it is imperative that the CCCLT identify those development projects that allow it to most effectively accomplish its objectives. To that end, this investment strategy includes three components that are intended to help the CCCLT evaluate and decide …

Defining Safety For Universities: The Slippery Conceptual Slope, Pam Jenkins

DRU Workshop 2013 Presentations – Disaster Resistant University Workshop: Linking Mitigation and Resilience

In this presentation, we address the issue of the fragility of campus safety. The uniqueness of a college campus creates a context for safety that requires an intentional and specific understanding. Campus life for many is no longer (or perhaps never was) ‘an ivory tower’— a place separated and protected from the rest of the community. However, many still have the attitude that a campus is not like the real world in the United States. And in fact, colleges and universities are often much safer and more open than communities around them. Yet, ask any student affairs director or safety …

Mitigation Planning 101, Nicolette English

DRU Workshop 2013 Presentations – Disaster Resistant University Workshop: Linking Mitigation and Resilience

No abstract provided.

Supporting Permanently Affordable Housing In The Low-Income Housing Tax Credit Program: An Analysis Of State Qualified Allocation Plans, Marla Nelson, Elizabeth Sorce

Planning and Urban Studies Reports and Presentations

The Low Income Housing Tax Credit (LIHTC) program is the country’s largest source of federal subsidy for affordable housing. Since its inception, the program has financed more than 2.2 million housing units, accounting for about one-sixth of all rental housing in the country.1 Limited affordability periods, and the ability for property owners to “opt out” of the program after 15 years, have raised concerns about the loss of affordable units to market rate conversion, particularly in strong housing markets. Organizations that provide permanently affordable housing, often referred to as “shared equity” models, can ensure the affordability and stewardship of LIHTC …

Hoffman Triangle 2012: Neighborhood Profile Report, Michelle M. Thompson, Josh Baer, Rachael Bauer, Frank Carter, Patrick Coyle, Alex Depriest, Malissa Dietsch, Lawrence Guimont, Kevin Harrison, Nelson Hollings, Annabeth Mccall, Tara Mckeefry, Valerie Mcmillan, Brooke Perry, Adarian Pike, Kevin Potter

Planning and Urban Studies Reports and Presentations

No abstract provided.

Connect The 9: Bridging St. Claude For All Users, Earthea Nance

Planning and Urban Studies Reports and Presentations

No abstract provided.

Preserving Affordability In Expiring Lihtc Projects: The Clt Approach, Department Of Planning And Urban Studies, University Of New Orleans

Planning and Urban Studies Reports and Presentations

The University of New Orleans Department of Planning and Urban Studies (UNO--‐PLUS), on behalf of their client, the Crescent City Community Land Trust, Inc. (CCCLT), has created this report to determine the viability of bringing expiring LIHTC properties into a community land trust (CLT). While CLTs are a proven model for maintaining the long-term affordability of housing units, their role in preserving expiring LIHTC properties is untested. In this report we: 1) examine the potential role of CLTs in preserving LIHTC properties; 2) evaluate the 20 expiring LIHTC projects within Orleans Parish to identify those best suited for conversion to …

Market Value In The Lower 9th Ward: Evaluating Reinvestment For The New Orleans Re-Development Authority, Michelle M. Thompson, Patrick Coyle, Kristine Dickson, John Green, Rosa Herrin, M. Johanna Leibe, Michael Lostocco, Adarian Pike, Manyuan Reffell, Tyren Snyder, Sofie Strasser, Jill Zimmerman

Planning and Urban Studies Reports and Presentations

No abstract provided.