Lake Forest Boulevard Corridor Study

Small Center Engagement

Small Center worked with the New Orleans Business Alliance (NOLABA), the Greater New Orleans East Business Alliance (GNOEBA), and local merchants to reenvision the Lake Forest Boulevard corridor. The assembled team worked to analyze the corridor’s context, identify development opportunities, craft schematic design guidelines, address walkability and sustainability concerns, create a branding package, design corridor landscaping interventions, and envision new developments on currently vacant properties. Students engaged with participants along the corridor, including site surveying and meeting with business owners and residents.

Partner Organization

GNOEBA is a member based non-profit organization made up of business owners, organizations, and local professionals united to promote strong business development, business sustainability, and addressing community issues.

A public-private partnership, NOLABA is the official economic development organization for the City of New Orleans, formed in 2010 through a coalition of business and civic leaders to employ best practices in economic development and position New Orleans as the ideal intersection of commerce and culture.

Outcome

NOLABA has committed to using resulting designs and documentation to seek state and federal funding, attract new businesses to the corridor, and engage with neighborhood groups throughout the East to determine shared priorities. Student proposals were submitted to the C40 Reinventing Cities International Competition, which solicits and assembles working teams to implement corridor and urban redevelopment projects with a focus on climate resilience.

The completed study was presented to business owners and neighborhood organization leaders in Spring 2023, and can be seen here.

Collaborators

NOLABA

• Greg Lawson
• Chandra Teddleton

GNOEBA

• Aaron Jordan
• Anthony Bridges
• Noah Wayne Lewis