Friday we traveled to New Orleans to analyze the site we will be designing for our first project. Aside from the weather, it was a good trip for gathering initial bits of data about the neighborhood. We learned that the area was composed of a fair amount of teachers and had strong schools in the neighborhood. This was also compounded by the fact that the University of New Orleans was all of 3 blocks away from the playground. The neighborhood was established in the 1940’s in the post World War II era. The lots were not very large, in the 600-750 sq ft range and the houses were approximately 500-600 sq ft. A perfect starter home neighborhood with the schools to go along with it. The racial breakdown seemed to be approximately 50/50 Cauc./Af.-Am. Alongside the strong percentage of school-related professionals, there were also a fair amount of “blue-collar” and service industry professionals as well. Long and short of it, this community, prior to the devastation of Katrina, was a closely knit, mixed (in regards to age and socioeconomic backgrounds) community that looked out for each other and strived to be an example for the rest of New Orleans as far as how neighborhoods could thrive.
And then Katrina hit….
There are approximately 1,000 homes in this neighborhood. At this point, there are only about 1/4 of those houses being inhabited again. Apparently, many folks are still waiting their “Road Home” money from the Gov’t. to move back in or make any decision in regards to what they will be doing about their property. The options are rebuild or sell their houses. If they sold their house, they would obviously either move away or elsewhere in the New Orleans area. The greatest loss that the park suffered was losing it’s trees. The neighborhood as a whole suffered from this loss as well. Before Katrina there was an extraordinary amount of trees in the area. A fair amount were located at the park as well as throughout the neighborhood. Apparently, views that are available currently were never there before Katrina. One would have difficulty seeing the University prior to Katrina but afterwards, it is one of the primary landmarks one sees while exploring the neighborhood. The replanting of trees is at the top of the neighborhood’s list of what they would like to see happen at the park.
Along with the trees, the following ideas were all considered at various extents for the redesign of the park: orchards, designated spaces for children (of various ages) that are fenced in, an area for community meetings, an area where older citizens can walk/exercise, walking paths, a memorial for those lost in Katrina, and finally, some type of water management system. Alongside these ideas, there are also a few notes such as the swing-sets need to stay where they are, the ball field may either stay or be removed as there is no established league using it and that native plantings be utilized as opposed to bringing in non-native planting material.
The neighborhood has received some money from the Highway dept. and are using it to purchase smaller deciduous trees that tend to have very striking colors while in bloom. There were a handful of trees to choose from and the neighborhood seemed to be excited about their new trees. My thoughts led me to wonder what that would look like as there was no real order to where the trees would go. I just hope that they are planted in a fachion that allows them to be regaled as beautiful every Spring bloom and not make people wonder why on Earth any street would be planted with such an odd scheme of colors. Those trees include Japanese Maples, Chinese Pistachios, a few other varieties of Magnolia trees in addition to a few other kinds of trees.
I have a few ideas I have been kicking around in my head since visiting the site. They all involve planting a great deal of trees on site and in the neighborhood as well as restructuring the circulation as well as a few other key details to the initial program of the park. I will create a park that is inviting to all neighbors at all times of the day and year as well as a model for the rest of New Orleans to learn from. A few items I am thinking of at the moment include a new “green” pavilion that would provide a space for gatherings, different play areas that will be built up and out, a new pathway system, a dog run (if there is enough space), as well as some type of monument for those who lost their lives in Katrina. I was thinlking maybe that could intertwine with the pavilion in some fashion, we will see.
It still really leaves me with an unsettled feeling whenever I visit the areas that took the brunt of Katrina’s fury. It is inconceivable to me how there could be houses that were abandoned and left to the elements while there were band new houses being brought in on the trailers of trucks to be built on the lots where houses were previously razed due to Katrina. It is two + years later and it still appears as if the storm rolled through just weeks ago. It is amazing how little the government has done to rebuild the city. The more I see it first-hand, he more I believe that Kanye West was right when he went outside of the script and shared his thoughts on who George W. Bush hated and left Mike Meyers staring at the camera like a deer in headlights. Although, I believe that it no longer applies to just African-Americans, it is the entire city of New Orleans. I could go off for hours on how the government dropped the ball on this particular National Disaster but I do not have hours to devote to it as that is the amount of time it would take me. I can say, however, that I am very excited to work on this project and feel as if I am lending a hand in rebuilding a city that is so rich in history, tradition and to put it simply, fun.
I am still getting the hang of posting blogs to this website so my photos may not be in the order or place I wanted them to be. I promise to work that out asap. In the meantime, here are a few images from the playground during a Louisiana version of a Blizzard!
Grass on the playing field
Katrina Devastation
Houses being brought in.
