From Green Dots to Greenways: Planning in the Age of Climate Change in Post-Katrina New Orleans

Abstract

This paper examines the role of density and open space as sustainable design strategies in the age of climate change. These issues are addressed through a case study of the Lafitte Greenway, a post-Katrina recovery project in New Orleans. Applying sustainability concepts within the contentious post-disaster environment has underscored tensions around the issues of green space and density. While the New Orleans case is currently an outlier, waterfront communities around the globe will begin to face similar issues as sea levels rise and climate change management becomes an increasingly important issue.