Almost 4 months have passed since I left NOLA. Now I am left with the daunting concept of neatly summarizing the subtle yet profound ways that I have changed. To quote a song, "Where do I start? Where do I begin?"
Firstly, I suppose, I should mention how my perspective on New Orleans has changed. I first visited NOLA roughly 7 years before Katrina. I was immediately charmed, along with countless tourists, with the quaint "Old World Feel" of the French Quarter. Truly this area is what gives the city its iconic status. After Katrina, the area seems strangely divorced from reality yet still defines the city. It is a remnant of utopian past when everyone lived in much closer proximity and had no choice but to interact and tolerate each other. New Orleans is a breathtaking patchwork quilt of poverty and opulence, grime and clean, ugly and beautiful, life and death, joy and tragedy, food and smell, music and dance, love and conflict, history and innovation, devastation and rebirth to name a few.
In the middle of it, I wanted nothing but to be rid of the soul crushing depression that the Lower 9 hammered into me 5 days a week. I wanted to run away the comfort of my mountainous home. Upon getting home, however, I felt embarrassed to see how well things worked. The love of this place haunts me. I feel, to some small degree, the amount of love that locals feel for this place which compelled them to return and try again.
Thinking about the first time I saw the Lower 9th from the Claybourne Bridge still sends shivers down my spine. Although the intial shock wore off, it served as a potent reminder every morning on the way to work. At times it was easy to feel completely overwhelmed and incapable of doing anything of value. Thats when the passion and grit I saw in the NENA staff helped the most. Keep your head down and eventually enough menial tasks means that someone get's to come home. I am and will continue to be in awe of these saints who deal with soul crushing bureaucracy above and heartbreak from neighbors, day after day. These women and men do this all out of love for their community.
Before going to New Orleans I simply found urban planning, architecture, and geography interesting. My passion was mostly fueled by an idealogical zeal which has since been replaced by love. Love of place is one of the most fundamental emotions that humans can experience. I've come to realize that I will find no work more fulfilling than to help communities realize this passion.
In conclusion, New Orleans lives and I will return!
Thursday, November 20, 2008
Friday, June 27, 2008
And then she huffed and she puffed...
Had a good day showing Dad around NOLA. Over the last two days with him I've tried to explain exactly how Katrina KOed NOLA. Despite hearing a fantastic lecture by my geography professor, I had a harder time remembering all of the almost elegant steps in the storm and flooding. After googling the timeline I found this absolutely amazing animation from the New Orleans Times-Picayune website. It's fascinating to watch the chain of events which formed a perfect storm. I've placed the link in the sidebar and here is a link:
http://www.nola.com/katrina/graphics/flashflood.swf
Enjoy!
http://www.nola.com/katrina/graphics/flashflood.swf
Enjoy!
Thursday, June 26, 2008
Rainy Day
Today was a day worthy of a blues song. I didn’t get a lot of sleep last night (for stupid reasons). I didn’t eat breakfast this morning and ran until around 3:00 pm on a bottled Frappuccino and a granola bar. My dietary self-abuse gave me abdominal cramps. The Historic District and Landmarks Commission refused to endorse our application because the Board of Zoning and Adjustment hadn’t taken a stance. To top it all off, the Louisiana skies opened up and dumped biblical amounts of water onto the unfortunate city.
Our client is an elderly woman. Now, bear with me, because the story gets even better. She had two daughters one of whom is on dialysis and the other died in Katrina. The deceased daughter orphaned 3 kids, I’m not sure of their ages. Her home, which should be noted is not historic itself, is located in the Historic Neighborhood of Holy Cross. The structure was added onto numerous times with the most recent addition intended to house the grandchildren. They began construction on the addition without a building permit and got to the point of putting up the framing for the walls. Before Katrina, there was a long history of construction without building permits and the city kindly looked the other way. After the storm, however, the city became hell-bent on enforcement. Our client received an order to stop construction and apply for a building permit. In order to obtain said permit, we must help her apply for a zoning variance, as the construction violates a setback ordinance from the side of the property line.
My co-worker spent probably the last two weeks preparing necessary documents, drawings for how to finish the halted construction, and site photos etc. Only to have his project get delayed by the bloody HDLC. The commission was somewhat vexed at why would we come before them without first obtaining a building permit. Of course, the Board of Zoning and Adjustment wanted a ruling by the HDLC before deciding to grant a zoning variance. I suppose such delays are normal and to be expected when dealing with any bureaucracy but they are exhausting. We just want to and have yet to close a single bloody case. (Keep in mind that the Design Studio is only a few months old and trying to work off the unrealistic caseload that our predecessor left for us.)
So we returned to NENA after stopping by a grungy po’ boy stand to eat an unsatisfying lunch. Upon returning, we saw another architect sitting with some NENA clients in the center of our open office space. Apparently, he was from the Make It Right! Foundation and was there for final review of a house that they had designed for this couple.
Amid all this overwhelming destruction and agonizing procedure, it’s very easy to lose sight of one’s goal and get depressed. It was remarkable to watch the architect officially stamp every page and have the couple sign beneath his stamp. After almost three years of being away from home, this was probably the couple’s first major step towards coming home. Judging by the smiles on their faces, I can only imagine the relief.
I guess rainy days never stay… :)
Our client is an elderly woman. Now, bear with me, because the story gets even better. She had two daughters one of whom is on dialysis and the other died in Katrina. The deceased daughter orphaned 3 kids, I’m not sure of their ages. Her home, which should be noted is not historic itself, is located in the Historic Neighborhood of Holy Cross. The structure was added onto numerous times with the most recent addition intended to house the grandchildren. They began construction on the addition without a building permit and got to the point of putting up the framing for the walls. Before Katrina, there was a long history of construction without building permits and the city kindly looked the other way. After the storm, however, the city became hell-bent on enforcement. Our client received an order to stop construction and apply for a building permit. In order to obtain said permit, we must help her apply for a zoning variance, as the construction violates a setback ordinance from the side of the property line.
My co-worker spent probably the last two weeks preparing necessary documents, drawings for how to finish the halted construction, and site photos etc. Only to have his project get delayed by the bloody HDLC. The commission was somewhat vexed at why would we come before them without first obtaining a building permit. Of course, the Board of Zoning and Adjustment wanted a ruling by the HDLC before deciding to grant a zoning variance. I suppose such delays are normal and to be expected when dealing with any bureaucracy but they are exhausting. We just want to and have yet to close a single bloody case. (Keep in mind that the Design Studio is only a few months old and trying to work off the unrealistic caseload that our predecessor left for us.)
So we returned to NENA after stopping by a grungy po’ boy stand to eat an unsatisfying lunch. Upon returning, we saw another architect sitting with some NENA clients in the center of our open office space. Apparently, he was from the Make It Right! Foundation and was there for final review of a house that they had designed for this couple.
Amid all this overwhelming destruction and agonizing procedure, it’s very easy to lose sight of one’s goal and get depressed. It was remarkable to watch the architect officially stamp every page and have the couple sign beneath his stamp. After almost three years of being away from home, this was probably the couple’s first major step towards coming home. Judging by the smiles on their faces, I can only imagine the relief.
I guess rainy days never stay… :)
Wednesday, June 18, 2008
Life at NENA and Landmarking Adventures
Having been working in the Lower Ninth Ward for almost a month now I am left with a somewhat clearer idea of what it is I exactly do here.
I am (cue fanfare) an ARCHITECTURAL DESIGN INTERN. I like how official it sounds even though I gave it to myself. So...yeah...I'm doing architectural design work.
The Design Studio here at NENA is by no means your traditional architectural firm. We like to say that we are in the business of "architectural triage." One moment we may be designing the support-piles for a new residence and the next we may be helping a client prepare necessary documents in order to apply for a zoning variance. Just the other day I was assigned to research the historical landmarking process in order to help a resident apply to have their home designated. The story goes as follows:
The homeowner lives in a two-story house, somewhat uncommon in the Lower Ninth where the majority of housing stock has only one level. The home appears to have been built in the twenties. The first floor is a garage and apartment with a whole other residence on the second floor at roughly 12 feet above ground-level: making it ideally immune from flooding. In 1973 Hurricane Betsy--the last major hurricane before Katrina-- flooded the low-lying Ninth Ward. Following the storm, the current resident's grandfather sheltered many people from the rising waters as NOLA flooded. As a sign of their gratitude, the community named a senior center after the Grandfather.
Many residents in the Lower Ninth are justifiably concerned that the forces of gentrification are forcing them out of their communities. Thus, they attempt to "hold on" in any way possible. Initially I thought that this was another case where the resident wanted to protect their property from change by having it landmarked. (It should be noted that landmarking a structure causes several protective restrictions to come into effect which prohibit major unapproved changes to the building or land use on the property.) The more I think about the potential landmark, however, the more I think it's a good idea. Although the circumstances may not satisfy the requirements of a national landmark, there is potential for a city one.
The residents of the Lower Ninth Ward need to feel a connection with their past and its events. Hurricane Betsy did less damage than the levee breach after Katrina; however, this home has survived both dramatic events and still defiantly stands amid acres of empty lots. A landmark designation and seal would serve as recognition that despite these traumatic events, the community and its residents endure in the Lower Ninth Ward.
I’ll keep y’all posted on how our application goes!
I am (cue fanfare) an ARCHITECTURAL DESIGN INTERN. I like how official it sounds even though I gave it to myself. So...yeah...I'm doing architectural design work.
The Design Studio here at NENA is by no means your traditional architectural firm. We like to say that we are in the business of "architectural triage." One moment we may be designing the support-piles for a new residence and the next we may be helping a client prepare necessary documents in order to apply for a zoning variance. Just the other day I was assigned to research the historical landmarking process in order to help a resident apply to have their home designated. The story goes as follows:
The homeowner lives in a two-story house, somewhat uncommon in the Lower Ninth where the majority of housing stock has only one level. The home appears to have been built in the twenties. The first floor is a garage and apartment with a whole other residence on the second floor at roughly 12 feet above ground-level: making it ideally immune from flooding. In 1973 Hurricane Betsy--the last major hurricane before Katrina-- flooded the low-lying Ninth Ward. Following the storm, the current resident's grandfather sheltered many people from the rising waters as NOLA flooded. As a sign of their gratitude, the community named a senior center after the Grandfather.
Many residents in the Lower Ninth are justifiably concerned that the forces of gentrification are forcing them out of their communities. Thus, they attempt to "hold on" in any way possible. Initially I thought that this was another case where the resident wanted to protect their property from change by having it landmarked. (It should be noted that landmarking a structure causes several protective restrictions to come into effect which prohibit major unapproved changes to the building or land use on the property.) The more I think about the potential landmark, however, the more I think it's a good idea. Although the circumstances may not satisfy the requirements of a national landmark, there is potential for a city one.
The residents of the Lower Ninth Ward need to feel a connection with their past and its events. Hurricane Betsy did less damage than the levee breach after Katrina; however, this home has survived both dramatic events and still defiantly stands amid acres of empty lots. A landmark designation and seal would serve as recognition that despite these traumatic events, the community and its residents endure in the Lower Ninth Ward.
I’ll keep y’all posted on how our application goes!
Thursday, June 12, 2008
Regionalism in New Orleans
New Orleanians derive a huge amount of identity from their neighborhood. Each neighborhood has its own unique identity and history. Also in a city with a rather unusual street grid (concentric roads echoing the 'crescent' of the Mississippi River around the city and radiating 'spokes' perpendicular to the river) neighborhoods are used to navigate with relative accuracy.
For example, Xavier University (where I am staying) is on the edge of "Gert Town" just across Ponchartrain Parkway from Mid-City. The famous French Quarter is the neighborhood "Vieux Carre." Gert-Town is renown for being largely black and working-class, along with Bywater, Marginy, both the Upper and Lower Ninth Wards, and Central City. Then again, I suppose that in a city that is majority black and not overly wealthy many neighborhoods appear to have similar demographics. Despite these superficial similarities, deep-seeded rivalries and tensions still do exist as each one of these areas mounts a respective recovery effort.
Each neighborhood has fairly clearly defined boundaries (usually roads or canals) and many have gone so far as to have "neutral grounds" installed between each area. The "neutral grounds" are large green spaces that are in the medians of streets. Thus, all over the city, various neighborhood borders are discernible by large, long, and tree-lined "parks." Historically, if locals had inter-neighborhood disputes and were to settle the dispute (wether by word or sword) they would meet on these buffer areas so as to prevent neighborhood warfare.
These neutral grounds are also fantastic opportunities as they often serve as parks and urban trail ways. Many are not being used as such, but there is a huge amount of opportunity already built into this city.
From time to time I may refer to a neighborhood. In the bar to the right I have included a link to a PDF map of New Orleans neighborhoods so you can follow along where I am! Look under the "Handy Links" section!
Monday, June 9, 2008
The Second Line...
Last Sunday I had the privilege of participating in a traditional New Orleans “Second Line Parade.” The term “second line” originated with jazz funerals during which people walk through the streets playing music. Naturally drawn to the music, a second line of people would begin following the funeral parade, taking advantage of the opportunity to socialize, sing, dance, and enjoy the music.
This second line parade on Sunday was part of an effort to revitalize the community of Broadmoore and therefore lacked the typical funeral. We arrived at the parade expecting a half hour of music in the sun and a hundred people. Soon thereafter we were proved sorely mistaken as hundreds of people came dancing around the corner.
The event was organized by a social society known as the “Uptown Swingers” who could be spotted wearing bubblegum pink suits with matching pink fedora hats and Italian shoes.
The photo at right is from a different society but featuring a similar color.
In essence, non-funeral Second Line parades are roving dance parties which make 15 minute stops at various local “watering holes” so that the sponsoring social club dancers can imbibe. All along the parade route, the cadre of vendors hock beer and other co’ drinks. Even the escorting mounted police were kind enough to ignore the countless “open containers” being enjoyed by the dancing masses.
It was truly a remarkable example of authentic community which often comes from beloved traditions. People in surrounding houses sat on their stoops and watched or joined in the parade. The elderly, families with tiny children, and people in wheelchairs joined in the dancing in the streets. The entire time, the parade danced its way through superficially destroyed neighborhoods as if to suggest that community is thicker than water.
This second line parade on Sunday was part of an effort to revitalize the community of Broadmoore and therefore lacked the typical funeral. We arrived at the parade expecting a half hour of music in the sun and a hundred people. Soon thereafter we were proved sorely mistaken as hundreds of people came dancing around the corner.
The event was organized by a social society known as the “Uptown Swingers” who could be spotted wearing bubblegum pink suits with matching pink fedora hats and Italian shoes.
The photo at right is from a different society but featuring a similar color.In essence, non-funeral Second Line parades are roving dance parties which make 15 minute stops at various local “watering holes” so that the sponsoring social club dancers can imbibe. All along the parade route, the cadre of vendors hock beer and other co’ drinks. Even the escorting mounted police were kind enough to ignore the countless “open containers” being enjoyed by the dancing masses.
It was truly a remarkable example of authentic community which often comes from beloved traditions. People in surrounding houses sat on their stoops and watched or joined in the parade. The elderly, families with tiny children, and people in wheelchairs joined in the dancing in the streets. The entire time, the parade danced its way through superficially destroyed neighborhoods as if to suggest that community is thicker than water.
Tuesday, June 3, 2008
Words fail me...
Words cannot describe the devastaion in the Lower Ninth Ward and Holy Cross neighborhoods. Below is a panoramic photo I took from the levee on the Industrial Canal. It was this levee which broke, supposedly sending a 20 foot wall of water through the area. The damage, is pretty apparent. I should mention that prior to the levee breach, the area across the street was densely populated with single-family detached houses.
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