Community Planning in Central City, New Orleans

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The Central City Renaissance Alliance is a community planning initiative commissioned by the City of New Orleans and the Ford Foundation to create a comprehensive community plan that would direct the City in it’s delivery of services and resources in addressing community needs while strengthening the community’s leadership base for on-going development.  The City, with support from national and local foundations, contracted Concordia LLC to initiate a community planning process.  This process would engage Central City’s residents and stakeholders in an authentic dialogue that involved sharing ideas, concerns and strategies to develop a comprehensive community plan for the neighborhood’s future.

To successfully develop quality of life recommendations for the Central City community, a Steering Committee of participants was asked to commit three hours per month for nine meetings to complete the Central City Renaissance Alliance (CCRA hereafter) Comprehensive Community Plan. The process began in January 2004 and finished in September 2004.  Participants included residents, non-profit organization staff, artists, business men and women, religious leaders, municipal employees, students and educators.

The CCRA Comprehensive Community Plan calls for greater communication, coordination and cooperation between elected officials, governing bodies, public agencies, private organizations and regional entities.  The CCRA Steering Committee recommendations were organized within the following themes: Strengthen Community Connections; Telling the Community Story; Housing in the Community; Community Beautification; Employing the Community and Community Wealth; An Educated Community; and A Healthy and Safe Community.

The CCRA Comprehensive Community Plan will guide the City of New Orleans, the New Orleans Public Schools and local governing entities toward leveraging existing resources and assets.  These activities will allow Central City to meet ongoing and emerging community needs and concerns that improve the quality of life for its community.  The CCRA Community Plan proposes ways in which all Central City residents can benefit from programs that promote community connectivity, address social issues, celebrate the neighborhood’s culture and heritage; and prioritize the maintenance, development and use of the community’s physical resources.

Finally, the process has also brought together a cohesive and diverse group of Central City citizens who are motivated and committed to continuing to work for the neighborhood’s prosperity and success.  This group is called the CCRA Action Team.  Additionally, seven local residents were hired and trained as Community Fellows.  They are now primed to support the Action Team and offer ongoing planning support to the City in other New Orleans neighborhoods.

To download a copy of the final plan and its appendix, go to our downloads page by clicking here.

Comments

I want to continue to assist with the rebuildong effort. I am a community developer, FEMA inspector, construction project manager and urban planner. I can be reached at 404-394-2288.
Lanard Cullins on April 10th, 2008

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