FTB15: Lopez bridge finale 12.13.12

Hey all, this coming THURSDAY Dec 13th at 2:00 PM we will be meeting once again at the Lopez/Lafitte Bridge to finish the bike path.  Folks have been stoked on it, and its a blast to ride on, even though its not finished.  If I can get ahold of a grill we will grill out afterwards.  Bring what you can, here's the work to be done:

putting down last pieces of plywood (bring screws, nails, hammers)

painting (bring colors you like + brushes)

talking about other ideas + next projects!

see you then, email if you have questions or suggestions

...on a side note:

Rendering of St Bernard Ave + Claiborne intersection.  Imagine what it would feel like to be on your bike or on foot in this situation, instead of viewing from your helicopter.  Also, consider what it would take on the outset to create this more inviting human-scaled corridor, as well as how it would affect the neighboring areas (from nola.com)

Claiborne Ave redevelopment is on the table, from Napoleon all the way to Elysian, and stretching much beyond. This is first time DOT + HUD have worked together like this, so a lot of folks are watching + its outcomes could be replicated.  Public input in land use planning has been mandated since 2010 as a result of the citywide Master Plan.  The first phases of the public input sessions have begun, and will be continued and refined until August 2013... upcoming public input sessions:  

• Dec. 11, 6 to 8 p.m., at Christian Unity Baptist Church. 1700 Conti St., for the Iberville, Treme/Lafitte and 7th Ward neighborhoods. 
• Dec. 12, 6 to 8 p.m., at Andrew Wilson Charter School's cafeteria, 3617 Gen. Pershing St., for the Broadmoor, Freret and Milan neighborhoods.

the fencing of Jackson Square

The defining of public and private spaces has been extremely relevant in New Orleans, as the Jindal and Landrieu administrations work with developers to push various measures geared to further privatize spaces and institutions, often in the name of boosting the economy.  High-profile disruptions of people’s lives such as the demolition and subsequent privatization of traditional public housing, privatization of public schools, and razing of Lower Mid-City for the LSU/VA hospital are underscored by a slew of similar though less noticeable regulations and acts.  Often these actions were pushed into existence primarily by groups misrepresenting the directly affected populations, such as development groups, neighborhood property owners, and others who may have well-meaning intentions.  Section 8 recipients are denied a voice in their fates, a positive century-old celebratory tradition is deflated, Duncan Plaza’s homeless encampments evicted, public free speech is limited, small businesses + events with DIY promotions can't advertise and are labelled as "bandits", Second Line vendors need permits*, public housing residents can’t have gardens or hang out on their porches, wording of zoning is exploited to curtail live music… on and on.  

 “if you party in the streets, you are on OUR turf.  If you are on OUR turf, you gotta do it how WE want.  If you don’t play by our rules, you cant play, and we’ll put other ‘conforming’ people in yr place because you’ve set yourself up as a cultural mainstay that we gotta keep alive for our own benefit.  You are dispensable, and the city is NOT YOURS.” – city regulatory logic, a snake eating its own tail weighing on the shoulders of those who built its nest.

Economy is derived from oikos, "house," and nemein, "to manage."  Eco- commonly refers to “environment.”  Economy = environmental management, though “Economics” is concerned with the production, distribution, and consumption of goods and services in a country, region, or community.  In a capitalist system of dealing with goods + services (a capitalist economy, for short), it can be understood that our environment is managed through capital.  Capital (material wealth in the form of money or property, used or accumulated in a business for production of more wealth) in American cities drives the rationale behind decisions being made by administrators, as evidenced by several links in this post.  Decisions on shaping the city of New Orleans – or any space – based on capital instead of people is a failure for human existence.  System begins to trump living beings, the Matrix commences.  The quality of a space is, to me, judged by its implications on relieving harmful power dynamics between active + affected users. Financial capital is a scale for a type of power highly recognized by our commerce-based society, and this scale is only relevant when compared to the available capital of another human; it separates individuals based on theoretical constructs (money as capital).  At the city-scale, this theoretical construct now is the active constructor of our physical environment and governs how we use it. Yikes.

"This is how itll all look once everyone acts like they're supposed to."  This is a row of rental houses where gardening was not allowed.

An tactic the city has taken to improve the amount of money circulating (and secondly, quality of life) is to become a creative jobs hub, fitting given the large amount of young idealistic college-educated dogooder folks who came down after Katrina.  This approach of emphasizing a "creative class" has had wide-ranging effects for many, and seems to rely heavily upon changing the makeup of the city's inhabitants instead of improving the lives of the current residents. It seems to be believed that the newcomers know how to live in a more desirable way, and their presence will generate economic prosperity, connected to "green" living and good health. Richard Florida + many New Urbanist-types seem to think that the creative class demographic's economic weight will be the saving grace of cities dehumanized and crippled by sprawl and disconnection between citizens and the decisions affecting them.  However, attempting to create a socially responsible, green, "livable" city through financial investment and from-the-top decision-making seems like a paradox.  I disagree with this new classism’s approach…  in the meantime, check out this draft of Opportunities and Tensions in Post-Katrina “BrainGain”by UNO professors Marla Nelson and Renia Ehrenfreucht.

A few days ago a friend grabbed my attention by insinuating that the fence around Jackson Square’s green space was put up in the 70’s as a means to control hippy protestors.  This could be the point that I delve into a history of Duncan Square, homeless encampments, and the Occupy movement, but instead lets fish up a bit of architectural history...

If the New Orleans government and the American Planning Association are to be trusted, the fence in its current form was constructed at Jackson Square since the 1850’s, after standing in disrepair for years.

“It was Micaela Almonester Pontalba, the Baroness Pontalba, who financed a redesign of the park around 1850 and lobbied to rename the square after President and General Andrew Jackson, the hero of the 1814 Battle of New Orleans. The design called for an iron fence, formal gardens, walkways, benches and a bronze statue by sculptor Clark Mills of Jackson on horseback.

The Baroness’ redesign of Jackson Square was not entirely selfless, as it increased the rental value of her townhouses.”  

Ahh, incentives of personal gain filtering down to great public spaces… I wonder if LSU will fence off the planned green space where the Lower Mid-City’s Grand Palace Hotel was imploded?**

Jackson Square, 1895 image from New Orleans Public Library collection. note fence in foreground

Many of the parks in New Orleans were originally surrounded by high iron fences, until 1904 when many were removed.  I haven't found much about this movement to open up park space, but it intrigues me.  Maybe we could learn from it.  The fence around Jackson Square (then just a central green space) remained, as well as the fence surrounding Washington Square Park, which was constructed around the same time (1853), and still stands. In keeping with the theme of privatization and regulation of space, there is a new law proposed where Jackson Square would be closed from 1am to 5am, with those who sit in the area liable to be arrested, fined, and jailed.

Chartres, St Ann, and St Peter streets were closed off in 1971, slate flagstone ground cover was installed, and the original grassy Jackson Square was made more accessible.  This move may have simply accentuated the imposing iron fence surrounding the park, leading to the rumor of the fence coming up in the 70's to deter hippies.  Streets act as a form of barrier quite often, and the fence around the park may have been less noticeable before the whole space became amenable for pedestrian hangouts.  Kind of like how one doesn’t notice the gated communities of the Metairie Country Club when standing in Hollygrove, because the neighborhood is first-off separated from its affluent neighbors by the 17^th Street (Palmetto) Canal and highly-trafficked Airline Highway. 

-----------------------

*this article touches on the idea that much of the informal and long-functioning cultural traditions of New Orleans came about without – and perhaps sometimes as a confrontational response to – regulations.  Is more regulation going to kill real music here, pushing it further towards RIAA cookiecutter for-profit-not-for-passion vibes? Is there a point at which regulatory agencies have passed so many edicts that creative navigation around to them – the backbone of many cultural practices around the world – is shut off? In a passionate article about music ordinances in the French Quarter, defense attorney Carol A Kolinchak points to a synthesis of economic exploitation and property-owner NIMBYism :

"They'll hire these same people to play at their inauguration events, but they punish them for playing in the same spots that got them to where they are"

**this implosion was preceded by several delays, due to some interesting public purpose/eminent domain details, concerning the future value of the parcel. More soon. with more pictures.

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http://www.bestofneworleans.com/gambit/new-orleans-music-laws/Content?oid=2106151

http://affordablehousinginstitute.org/blogs/us/2012/11/conformitys-grandfather.html

FTB14: Lopez Bridge is a simple machine 11.25.12

Lopez Bridge still has concrete barriers blocking either end of it.  We tried metal and cloth-webbed come-alongs with 1.5" steel prybars, but they wouldn't budge. Some more simple machine ingenuity might have helped, but time was short.  So, the path has a few turns, but will now be more fun to move along.  WT Wallington could've helped I'm sure, he likes to move big heavy things around his backyard. More on moving large objects through history.

Assyrian sled-pull with lever.

We will be finishing up the path + patching job this Sunday, November 25, meeting at the bridge at 9:00 am!  Connecting pieces of the path with ramps and hopefully making it look sweet.  Things to bring:

-wood, plastic, net, rope, tree branches, stretched out bubblegum, anything around 83" long (to fill in at railings) 

-pieces of wood (any sort of 2x wood, and plywood) to fill in + cover holes in the deck

-screws/nails >2"

-paint/brushes

-breakfast to share

And while your on the way, scope this semi-natural inclined plane/ramp/playground just off of Lafitte between Claiborne and the Lafitte redevelopment:

FTB13: N Lopez Bridge sucks 11.4.12

Lafitte Corridor once was a canal and railroad connecting the French Quarter and Bayou St John.  Right now, it is a mostly-vacant tract of land planned for redevelopment as parkland... whenever there is enough $$.  At its base along Claiborne, stretching away from the river, past the former Lafitte Projects, it is a partially-fenced green space (including active NORD public swimming pool) becoming an industrial zone once it crosses over Broad.  Along this stretch of the corridor (bounded by Conti and Lafitte Streets), the canal is open to the air above and one can find a fenced-off graveyard of street signs, a fence holding in the Red Bull skateboard ramps brought down on a barge last October*, and a deteriorated bridge along N Lopez St as it crosses the canal.

 You will most likely see a couple of folks walking across the bridge as they come from/go to Canal St or even a frustrated biker dismounting because of the poor bridge condition and Jersey barriers (common in military installations**) blocking the way.  Often folks will hang out here, falling through the deck or almost landing in the canal due to missing railings.

plan of the bridge... the blue is the pristine canal water.  "x"s are railing posts. big black bowling pin on fire is a huge pipe with a tree overhanging.

SO

We will be meeting up on Sunday, November 4th at 9:00, at the N Lopez Bridge.  The spot has a lot of potential, beyond just making it walkable/bikeable.  Things to bring, if you have them:
-wood, plastic, net, rope, tree branches, anything around 83" long (to replace railings)
-pieces of wood (2x12s + plywood is ideal, but we can work with anything) to fill in holes in the deck
-screws/nails >2 1/2"
-paint/brushes

lets see what happens...

*the Red Bull Skate Barge ramps sit on rented trailers in storage, while decisions are not made as to where they can go, only touchable by union workers, while New Orleans skaters are without a city-approved public park.  The much-hyped recent Lil Wayne/Mtn Dew park - NOT OPEN ANYMORE - had a handful of problems, such as $5 entry and only open 9-5. 
** these have been here at least 5 years now, although the rebar loops on their edges are meant for "short-term placement"

FTB10: outputting 10.3.12

So, there are a few examples of how redevelopment issues are being addressed around NO with the "PitchNOLA 2012" Lots of Progress and Idea Village "Water Challenge" initiatives going on around town.  These have ties to similar "public input" redevelopment projects such as 2012's "Love Your Block"  and 2011's Urban Innovation Challenge. What are the motives and people behind these initiatives, what the process is to make changes thru them, who guides these processes?  At the bottom of the PitchNOLA site there is a pdf by Jericho Road and Tulane City Center that describes potential plans for abandoned lots around town.

This Wednesday we will discuss these and other ways that participatory urban environment sculpting takes place.... how this is done outside of these formalized processes.  This will be merged with the Saturday "do stuff" meetup idea and start the process of building something, beginning the 2nd phase of class more focused around materials + methods of building. Relevant reading not online = stay up on the news/what your neighbors are yelling about/what you pass by every day but don't think about.

FTB09: connecting the dots 9.19.12

OK, so the group has been going for a solid number of weeks.  I'm stoked that folks have had interest, and new faces keep coming.  For this week's class, lets reapproach past readings and notes (all linked in previous posts, duh), and draw lines between them.  The past weekend's events concerning the fight for housing in Haiti were inspiring, so we will also be touching on what was said by Reynelle Sanon, Bill Quigley, STAND With Dignity, Other Worlds, and Survivors' Village in comparing the struggles in Haiti and New Orleans. 

Remember back in the first meet-ups when we talked about the often-overlapping roles of CREATORS, CONTROLLERS, and USERS of the built environment?
And how we have looked at who is concerned with certain issues, and why? 
In retrospect, what did we miss during earlier discussions, now that we have delved deeper?
What questions do you now have about past subjects?
What has been highlighted and hammered home?
If you missed a class, maybe this is a chance to catch up on those readings and we can see the subject in a new light. Maybe you can pick the subjects that seemed most relevant to you and bring something new in to add... take it wherever you want, but lets take a step back and try to digest some of what we've chewed upon. 

Liberian land disputes (FTB06) --> dissected by Norwegian Refugee Council --> funded in part by StatOil (in areas of investment interest) [CONTROLLERS of how environment is perceived]--> NGOs as a tool for expansion of national interest / envelopment--> NGOs representing privatization of governmental services --> tenant purchase/Hope VI/Choice Neighborhoods and the path to privatization of public housing [transfer of CONTROL] --> New Orleans public housing struggle [USERS seeking CONTROL] --> STAND With Dignity + Section 3/local hiring [USERS becoming CREATORS]--> and so on...

FTB08: Haiti reconstruction 9.12.12

This Friday, Sept 14, come hear Reyneld Sanon (Haitian housing rights activist) and New Orleans lawyer/professor Bill Quigley speak on housing rights and reconstruction after Haiti's devastating 2010 earthquake:

We've been discussing much about types of displacement, their causes, and how they are addressed.  This week we will focus on Haiti's reconstruction, with a presentation by a friend who recently worked with Haitian organization ITECA (link goes to secondhand description) in Gressier (near Leogane, the epicenter of the quake).

note the lack of website for ITECA: it is important to note what we find in mass media with regard to who is conducting rebuilding efforts in Haiti, as many of  the efforts by Haitians maintain little-to-no web-presence, compounding the assumption that international organizations are saving the day as Haitians remain incapable.  This ties in to Haiti's history as a county with little self-determination, while much of the international community's efforts have been criticized as "photo-op philanthropy" with little on-the-ground results for Haitians and much money wasted on infrastructure and over-pay of international workers.


While around 500,000 Haitians remain internally displaced with little infrastructure, the Under Tents campaign (website down at time of posting) is fighting for a comprehensive housing plan, demanding

1. an end to the forced eviction of Internally Displaced Persons' (IDP) camps
2. designation of land for permanent housing
3. a centralized government institution to coordinate and implement a social housing plan
4. allocation of funding to carry out these goals

a few case studies in a sea of stories:
Haiti's rebuilding has many faces, as housing, public infrastructure, and private businesses all faced destruction in urban areas such as Port-au-Prince and Jacmel as well as in rural areas that have received much less media attention.  Haitian groups, individuals (local and international), NGOs of various sizes, and international governments have all played roles, with large-scale non-Haitian organizations such USAID and the UN maintaining powerful voices throughout. Haiti Grassroots Watch tells the story of Champs de Mars camp residents.

Some NGO's work as apolitical contractors to rebuild certain areas or structures: Architecture for Humanity is working in Villa Rosa, Port-Au-Prince as well as with several other projects, as part of a larger-scale approach to rebuild in a way aimed at sensitivity to local needs and realities.

Some projects are created by foreign groups for economic development:  Caracol industrial park, a US-backed development project that sadly seems to point towards exploitation of Haitian laborers for the benefit of international markets. 

from "Too Soon for Carnival: Sweeping Haiti's 400,000 Poor Back Under the Rug"

some relevant documents from past classes to check back over:
-see end of previous post re:President Martelly's 16/6 plan for relocating IDP camps

-"Confusions’ and Palava: The Logic of Land Encroachment in Lofa County" - describes the clash of customary use-valued land tenure systems and title-based market-valued land tenure systems in Liberia.  Land titling in Haiti has often been informal, and titling records were also lost in the earthquake in many cases.  Many people left in Internally Displaced Persons' camps are those who did not have formal title to the land they were living on.

cadastre: ca·das·tre also ca·das·ter (k -d s t r). n. A public record, survey, or map 
of the value, extent, and ownership of land as a basis of taxation.

FTB07: delayed 8.29.12

So, since the storm named Isaac is planning to visit town this Wednesday, let's say no class... we will resume on next Wed, Sept 5, covering the readings from last class (Liberia, etc... see last post) If missing class really gets your goat, join up at the New Orleans Community Print Shop's work day on Saturday at noon (each week, Thurs at 6 + Sat at noon). Its in a warehouse at 1201 Mazant.  They have done a rad job building out the space, and its a fun time with a killer crew of folks (plus they always have food + coldcold h20 +beer).

A new slum at Mourne L'Hopital, Haiti, comprised mainly of T-Shelters (temporary shelters) donated by NGOs.  Many Haitians are living without sufficient housing or infrastructure such as sewage or water. (photo from Haiti Grassroots Watch)

On the anniversary of Katrina, remember people who still haven't recovered from a disaster.  Folks still are displaced here in the US, unable to return to New Orleans for various reasons, much based around exclusionary changes to NOLA's built environment (rent increases, public housing demos, loss of housing, et al).  Isaac just swept through Haiti, where some report 500,000 people are still internally displaced.  President Martelly, along with Bill Clinton, recently put forward the 16/6 plan to close 6 internally displaced persons' camps and provide money for housing, for a small number of them.  Many criticize this as purely putting the problem of tent camps "out of site, out of mind."  The Institute for Justice and Democracy in Haiti recently surveyed many Haitians as to how well this 16/6 plan is working.

FTB06: 8.22.12

Liberian civil war broke out in the 90's.  This led to many people being displaced, problems with public infrastructure, and a mass migration towards urban areas, leading to "unplanned development" which is now, in some cases, being bulldozed to make way for "planned development." The Norwegian Refugee Council has been working to resolve land disputes in Liberia, which is broken down in the following reports (in chronological order):
 
"Confusions’ and Palava: The Logic of Land Encroachment in Lofa County"
“Comparative Analysis of Land Conflicts in Liberia: Grand Gedeh, Lofa and Nimba Counties"
"Searching for Soap Trees: Norwegian Refugee Council’s land dispute resolution process in Liberia
Beyond Squatters' Rights: Durable Solutions and Developmentinduced Displacement in Monrovia, Liberia

displaced, but to where?  how does this compare to Section 8 voucher use? (from T-P article on CJ Peete redevelopment)

 Iberville redevelopment's Choice Neighborhoods Initiative plan and design overview. The Iberville redevelopment is inextricably tied to the Canal Street Redevelopment, which seems to be purely tied to economic development.  According to Kelo v. the City of New London, economic development is considered in the public interest. 

"residents remember thriving local businesses" -HANO Choice Neighborhoods Initiative proposal

The above readings are pretty long.  Discussion from last class led to some topics to further explore, so if you'd rather, research these issues on your own!

• More info on the Joe Slovo redevelopment and protests against the N2 Gateway evictions.

• Columbia University's expansion/other eminent domain situations + ensuing pushes for alternate plans

• Eminent domain time/expediency/accountability requirements

 

FTB05: redevelopment 8.15.12

Affordable Housing Institute is a group that works to increase affordable housing ecosystems worldwide by providing financial advice and other resources to small localized housing groups, policy makers, and other "pro-poor entities."   AHI tells the story of the Cape Town, South Africa's Joe Slovo township and its redevelopment after a 2009 fire destroyed 500 shacks and left 1500 people homeless (also see parts two, three, and four).

In a storyline relevant to our recent discussions of New Orleans' and St Louis' public housing approaches, AHI also recently posted a 4-part article on public housing post-Hurricane Ike in Galveston, Texas.   The Cape Town, Galveston, and New Orleans situations are all tied together in that they were all prefaced by large disasters.

Palace Hotel being imploded in New Orleans: eminent domain in

Lower Mid-City for greenspace within the LSU/VA hospital footprint

The 2005 supreme court case of Kelo v. City of New London comes up often as setting precedent for eminent domain used in redevelopment, urban renewal, or whatever you'd like to call it.  The Kelo case redefined "public purpose" for eminent domain as including economic development, based on precedents set by Berman v. Parker and Hawaii Housing Authority v. Midkiff.

FTB04: investment and ownership 7.25.12

"Oscar Newman is an architect and city planner known internationally for his work in community planning, assisted housing, crime prevention, and racial integration. His defensible space concept has helped communities in St. Louis, Dayton, and elsewhere redesign neighborhoods for greater safety."  If the above-linked Defensible Space Theory overview interests you, check out how Defensible Space is created in real-world case studies via Newman's report to HUD.

Cochran Gardens was a public housing development in St Louis, comparable to Pruitt-Igoe in design although it was controlled by tenants through much of its life.  This not only created habitable space, but also jobs and solutions to other problems affecting the area.  This 1988 NYTimes article gives background from a point when tenants were considering buying the buildings from the feds, after a new law was signed into effect by Ronald Reagan.

Ancestral Pueblo cliff dwelling "Spruce Tree House," Mesa Verde CO

"The Egyptian Episode of Self-Build Housing".  from Habitat International 36, by Ahmed M Soliman --- In Housing By People Turner researches and advocates self-built housing, centered around Peruvian case studies.  Turner advocates a form of housing policy where the government functions as a conduit to resources, providing access to materials, knowledge, person-power, etc and setting legislative limits to ensure availability of these to all.  Here are some ways that this has played out in Egypt. 

"Sources of the Shotgun House: African and Caribbean Antecedents for Afro-American Architecture." Volumes I and II by John Vlach, 1975.  pdf from photographed microfilm at NO main library, so its a huge file.  This is an academic, kinda dated paper...  indepth analysis of how different culture's building methods melted together into the house forms that many of us live in.

Saturday build day at the Peach Orchard!   where I-610 + RR trax cross over Paris Ave, take a L on Pleasure coming from river

FTB01: Intro 6.20.12

What is the "built environment?"


Buildings, infrastructure, alterations to nature: all human-caused environmental conditions are part of the built environment (BE).  The BE can exist as all-encompassing (entirely human-created environment, such as inside of an airport), as an extension from our civilization (trails through the woods), or anything in-between (our usual NOLA environment: cityscape with elements of nature poking through, people trying to control it).



The phrase "built environment" is passive, begging the question "built... by who?"  Who are the major players within the lifecycles of structures?  Taking from John FC Turner's catchphrase "housing as a verb", we realize that our environment is not static and lifeless, but an ever-evolving product of creators, controllers, and users.

These three entities are not always separate, as an inhabitant of a house helps to create the space as well as control how it is used, fulfilling all three roles.  On the same point, a bank may loan money to fund the physical creation of a house and eventually foreclose on the house if the money is not paid back, giving it the identity of "creator" and "controller" (but not necessarily "user", as evidenced by the large amount of vacant foreclosed homes, depending on your definition of "use").

Housing By People (John FC Turner 1976) sorts out creation, control, and use dynamics in self-governing and centrally-administered housing systems.

The BE can be influenced through creation, control, or use by various ACTORS: actual humans, natural factors, human entities, human constructs.  Natural factors such as termites, sunlight, heat, need for nourishment, and hurricanes all shape what we inhabit and how we do so, as they are near-undeniable presences in our world.  Human entities are formal and informal groups of people defined by some common trait, whether a corporation, a mass of striking teachers, a class of children at recess, an ethnic group, or a brass band parading down Broad St.   Human constructs include things external of our physical being such as laws, building codes, banks, finances, prejudices, desires, and obligations. 

A measure of resources available in several living situations, each one with different types of creation, control, and use (also from Housing By People).

By focusing on the actors present in any environmental situation and how they act (thru creation, control, or usage of the environment) to provide access to resources for living, we have a starting point for who is affected by a given environment and how.  This study of power dynamics that are present in the past, present, and future of a space helps to shed light on ideals that run a society.

“Houses are microcosms of the bigger society and provide, by virtue of their molding and shaping walls, the context in which other aspects of culture are learned” – john Michael vlach