Planning District One (Continued)

Vieux Carre, Central Business District, 
Warehouse District

Commercial

Commercial uses in District One cover a vast array. Commercial land uses account for the largest portion of land in the district, covering more than 515 acres or 55.6% of the district's total acreage. The different uses have been broken down into sub-categories below with geographic areas defined for those uses. The discussion herein reflects whole blocks or a contiguous area with a concentration of commercial uses. 

Office Market

According to the University of New Orleans' July 1998 Real Estate Market Analysis, the CBD contains 85% of Class A office space offered in the multi-parish metropolitan area. The same study reveals that 90% of all office space in New Orleans proper is in District One; the majority of high-rise office towers are located on the Poydras Street corridor running from the river to Loyola Avenue. Other multi-story office towers are found on Canal, between Rampart and Claiborne, and along Loyola Avenue. Smaller low-rise buildings, most of them built in the late 1800s-early 1900s, are interspersed throughout the district.

The Vieux Carré and Warehouse District are neighborhoods with less dense low-rise office space that is mostly defined as Class B and C. A good portion of the offices in these neighborhoods is located in two to five story buildings above retail storefronts. 

Retail

While retail is found throughout District One, there are a few well-defined areas where trade has a significant impact. The segment of Canal Street running from Peters to Rampart has historically provided retail business for the downtown area and continues to do so today. Royal Street and Chartres Street in the Vieux Carré have many small retail storefronts with an abundance of antique stores and clothing boutiques. Julia Street in the Warehouse District provides a corridor with a concentration of art galleries and home furnishing marts.

Enclosed shopping centers with national chain stores include The Riverwalk at the Mississippi River and Poydras Street, Canal Place at Canal and North Peters, Jax Brewery at Decatur and Toulouse, and New Orleans Centre next to the Louisiana Superdome on Poydras. Though not considered to be shopping malls, many high-rise office towers on Poydras have enclosed retail shopping on the first and second levels.

In the spring of 1998, the city and the DDD jointly sponsored a panel of the Urban Land Institute (ULI) to recommend strategies for revitalizing retail uses on Canal Street. The panel found that there were several underserved markets that would frequent retail stores on Canal Street. The group recommended investment in the corner of Canal and Basin/Rampart as an entertainment center, as well as marketing strategies and maintenance standards for Canal Street. The ULI's recommendations form a coherent and realistic vision for redevelopment of this important corridor based on its existing strengths, and have been incorporated in the proposed land use map for District One.

Entertainment

Roughly defined, entertainment corridors are those in which a concentration of restaurants, night clubs, alcoholic beverage establishments, and/or music clubs are located. Bourbon Street in the Vieux Carré is known around the world for its variety of entertainment with restaurants, bars and night clubs. Rampart Street between Canal and Esplanade has a concentration of music clubs. Decatur Street between Canal and Esplanade is lined with music venues, restaurants, the French Market, and alcoholic beverage establishments. Outside of the Vieux Carré the only identifiable corridor is in the Warehouse District along North Peters Street and Convention Center Boulevard servicing the entertainment desires of conventioneers. Once it is completed, Harrah's casino will also provide entertainment in this Planning District.

Industrial

There is very little industrial land use in District One, covering only 41.47 acres, equal to 4.5% of the district's total acreage. However, the Warehouse District has a concentration of industrial uses between the Mississippi River, Pontchartrain Expressway, Camp Street, and Julia Street. 

The other location of industrial use is found in the lower Vieux Carré: Governor Nicholls wharf on the Mississippi River beginning at St. Phillip and continuing downriver. 

Public and Semi-Public

Central location, a wealth of historic sites and increased tourist activity have contributed to decisions to locate a large percentage of public and semi-public land uses in District One, and to invest in extensions of the streetcar line up Canal Street. The city has systematically invested in ensuring the continued vitality of this district for public use-whether for government, for the citizens, or for tourists. Currently, 160 acres of the district are classified as institutional, and 114 acres as parkland. 

Downriver from Canal Street to St. Phillip Street is the Moon Walk, which provides the only river access area in the Vieux Carré. At the center of the Vieux Carré is the Place d'Armes (Jackson Square) flanked by St. Louis Cathedral, the Cabildo and the Presbytère. The green space and historic structures of the square still provide the central focus designed by the French over 250 years ago. Other public buildings of note in the Vieux Carré are the old US Mint at Elysian Fields and Esplanade, the Customs House on Canal Street, and the Courthouse at Conti and Royal. 

The city's Civic Center at Loyola Avenue between Tulane Avenue and Poydras, is home to City Hall, Civil District Court, State office buildings, State Supreme Court, and the Public Library's main branch. The Main Branch of the U.S. Post Office and the Union Passenger Terminal Station are located upriver from the Civic Center on Loyola Avenue. Lakeside from the Civic Center is the Louisiana Superdome and New Orleans Sports Arena. Also found at the lakeside end of the district, centered around Tulane Avenue, is the New Orleans Medical Complex with its many hospitals, health care institutions, and university class rooms. 

Lee Circle, once the turning basin for the New Basin Canal and now a monument to General Robert E. Lee, provides a widely recognized green space in the Warehouse District. Examples of the many other historic sites in the neighborhood include Gallier Hall (City Hall from 1852-1957) and Lafayette Square.

The Aquarium of the Americas and Woldenberg Park can be found at the riverfront end of Canal Street. Moving upriver from the Aquarium is the Riverwalk shopping center and the Ernest N. Morial Convention Center that lines Convention Center Boulevard from Julia Street beyond the Pontchartrain Expressway. 

Section V: Community Participation

The following section provides a synthesis of citizen comments and input gathered at a public workshop held at Gallier Hall, on the morning of July 18, 1998 and a follow up meeting on October 17, 1998. Approximately 60 residents and business owners, in five small groups, participated in the workshop identifying pivotal development parcels and land use conflicts and creating a proposed land use map for the district.

The Vieux Carré is often referred to as the city's "crown jewel." The majority of District One residents can be found in this neighborhood, but there are concerns of the dwindling residential numbers due in part to encroachment of commercial activity. Citizens in both the Vieux Carré and the Warehouse District are strongly in favor of "vertical zoning": small-scale, pedestrian-friendly shops at street level with living quarters above. They believe this mixed use designation would encourage more residents to move back into the neighborhood and re-establish the district not solely as a tourist attraction, but as a place to live and work.

Since the late 1700s the Central Business District has been the commercial backbone of the city. Citizens seek to limit commercial office use to appropriate corridors and support businesses located there. Canal Street continues to be a focus of desired redevelopment, either to regain its position as downtown's premier retailing location, or to find a new series of attractions which would make the street an enticing place to visit. For the last several years, Canal Street has been little more than an unattractive border between different downtown districts.

The Warehouse District is rapidly being redeveloped into a mixed use neighborhood. The community would like this area to remain the city's cultural center for the arts, while enhancing commercial activity for neighborhood services. They are dismayed with the parking issues in the area: there is not enough parking, street level storefronts are being used for garages, and there is a lack of landscaping around the many surface lots. They also would also like to creatively tackle conflicts that come with the variety of social service agencies located here. 

Other issues voiced were the need for more neighborhood, not regional, commercial activity to support residents. There was a consensus among those present that creating perimeter parking, preferably municipal garages, would ease auto congestion. Every individual at the workshop supported redevelopment of the Canal Street corridor to reflect the historic integrity of the boulevard. Specifically, they supported bringing residents back to the upper floors of buildings, keeping new construction in scale with the adjacent Vieux Carré, and encouraging small, local retail businesses to occupy street level shops. In the Vieux Carré and Warehouse District they would like to see the building height restriction lowered to preserve the scale and vistas offered of the river and CBD skyline. Finally, they would like existing residential areas maintained, a limit on future development of hotels, and entertainment businesses directed toward Loyola Avenue, Canal Street, and Rampart Street.

Pivotal Parcels

The community discussed a number of sites in District One where development would greatly affect the surrounding area. The parcels of most concern were large, vacant buildings on Canal Street: former Krauss Department Store, former Woolworth's store, former Maison Blanche store and the vacant Harrah's Casino site. Citizens identified two major streets at pivotal: Rampart Street and the Claiborne corridor beneath the interstate highway. Parking lots also drew attention, most specifically those at Orleans & Rampart and on North Peters. 

In response to a request for suggestions regarding how these pivotal parcels might be developed, the community agreed that the two large commercial buildings above Rampart (Krauss and Woolworth's) could be used for larger scale retail commercial businesses. They cited the existing use of Canal Street above Rampart as appropriate for generally larger commercial uses such as discount variety department stores or a grocery store to service local needs. The participants emphasized that while the convenience these stores could offer was important, a well-conceived design was equally essential.

Noting that the lower portion of Canal Street -- the portion lying between the river and Rampart -- is relatively small in scale and contains several historically significant buildings, citizens would like to see it developed in a manner that would complement the Vieux Carré. Participants observed that all large buildings on Canal Street should have ground level retail stores with pedestrian access from the street. Furthermore, both sides of Canal Street should developed together as part of an overall plan. The former Maison Blanche store at Canal & Dauphine is an unusual site for the boulevard because of its immense size. Currently there are plans for the Ritz Carlton Hotel to occupy all levels above the ground level with the first floor planned for small-scale retail. Participants do not want the façade of the Maison Blanche store to be out of character with the surrounding texture of the street, nor do they want the height of the building increased. If the Ritz Carlton Hotel does not use this building, the group would like to see it redeveloped with multi-family residential on all upper levels. 

The other large structure on lower Canal Street that was discussed is the vacant Harrah's Casino building. If the casino fails to occupy the building, the community has a variety of visions for this site: Concert/Performing Arts Hall; Museum; Mixed use commercial; Institutional/government use; Convention business. The group also suggested demolishing the structure and establishing green space on the site.

In general, citizens supported the idea of a linear Jazz Park on Rampart Street; some suggested extending the park down Bourbon Street. They would like to see the park planned with community input and municipal guidance, so the finished project is one of cohesion, in scale with the adjacent Vieux Carré and consistent with the historical era of Jazz music. They are interested in a consistent plan for public monumentation and public art. They are concerned about the potential noise problem caused by amplified music, and would restrict this type of activity to increase livability in the neighborhood. They specifically noted that amplified noise from establishments on Bourbon Street dissuades potential residents from moving to the area. 

The Claiborne Avenue corridor was identified as a street that needs several types of improvements: more landscaping along this entire route; re-opening of the fountains under the interstate; street lighting improved to ensure safety of the Medical Complex users, and repair of all sidewalks. Other recommendations for the area include using vacant space for landscaped parking lots or for a farmer's market on the weekends.

Many surface parking lots in District One are viewed as pivotal because the community knows that demand in this popular urban setting will cause the lots to be developed. Participants discussed future uses of several of these lots, in the interest of ensuring that their development is consistent with the surrounding areas. One suggestion would establish a "sunset provision" ordinance which would allow a lot owner to use the parcel for parking for a certain period of time. Subsequently, the owner would have to develop the land. There was some opposition to this idea, based on the fact that forcing someone to develop land when they may lose money would be unfair. While the majority of citizens present agreed with the "sunset provision" idea, it was not completely resolved. 

Suggestions for future use of surface lots on North Peters between Canal and the French Market include mixed uses with the caveats that the design should be consistent with the architecture of the Vieux Carré and development should be limited to small-scale buildings with height restrictions to preserve views of the river. Development on surface lots on Rampart between Canal and Esplanade Avenue should be small, neighborhood commercial services and uses which complement the linear Jazz Park.

The former Harrah's parking lots received the most attention at the workshop. These lots, which run along Orleans Avenue from Basin Street to South Galvez Street, were unanimously cited as ideal locations for parking lots to serve tourists visiting the Vieux Carré. The lots could be used by tourist buses and other oversized vehicles, thereby reducing traffic congestion and preventing the structural damage that very large vehicles can create in this very sensitive area. The community would like to see a visitor/tourism center at Basin and Orleans or a neighborhood grocery store. 

Other pivotal parcels with community suggestions identified in District One include:

 
• Vacant lot at the corner of Esplanade and Rampart-residential or neighborhood commercial 
• Vacant store building at Barracks and Decatur Street-vertically zoned mixed use 
• Vacant building at Front & Bienville-restaurant, office space, vertically zoned mixed use, parking lot 
• Vacant lot at Constance & Poydras Street-not a high-rise hotel; downtown commercial, mixed use preferred 
• Union Passenger Terminal-maintain function as a regional transportation center with expanded multi-modal services. Residents do not want this site to replace proposed visitor center/tourist transportation hub at Basin & Orleans as the location is too far from the main tourist attraction, the Vieux Carré. They would like to see the UPT service the transportation needs of metropolitan area residents and the visitor center service the needs of tourists. 
• Vacant lot on Iberville between Villere and Robertson-create office space for nearby Medical Complex or for city/state government uses. 
• Vacant lots in and near the Vieux Carré-infill with good urban design, consistent with the "feel" of the neighborhood. Lots in the lower Vieux Carré should be developed for residential use. 
• Abandoned properties on Canal Street, the Customs house at Canal & Decatur, and the old Courthouse building located at Conti & Royal were listed as pivotal parcels with no community suggestions for future use. 

The schematic map which appears on the facing page summarizes comments recorded on district maps during the workshop. The summary schematic is an attempt to graphically represent the most frequent and consistent comments made by citizen participants. For ease of interpretation, various local landmarks, such as parks, housing developments, and large-scale developments, have been included. 

Section VI: Proposed Land Use Plan for Planning District One

The Vieux Carré is an asset to the entire metropolitan area, attracting significant tourism dollars. To the people who live and work in the neighborhood it is much more. The Old World charm creates a sense of small village life in a large urban setting; a place that encourages neighbors to meet one another while strolling down the street and that provides a well of pride for residents. The French and Spanish history is reflected in the scale and architecture of the buildings in this historic district, which has been aptly described by the Vieux Carré Commission being valuable for its "tout ensemble" -- its "total environment." This phrase, ratified by a Louisiana Supreme Court decision, means it is impossible to discern any area or structure not significant to the history of the city and the feel of the district.

The Central Business District provides a heavy concentration of office space to service the city's corporate and commercial needs. In addition to the many corporations located here, two revenue-building assets of the neighborhood are the New Orleans Medical Complex and the Louisiana Superdome. Two historic districts are in this section of Planning District One, Picayune Place and Canal Street. Historic structures situated on the lower portions of Gravier and Common Streets contribute charm to the area. A recent Urban Land Institute study commissioned by Mayor Morial's administration and the Downtown Development District has offered many suggestions for how to revitalize Canal Street, and to make it an integral connection with the neighborhoods which co-exist in Planning District One. 

The Warehouse District lies parallel to the Convention Center, a 1.1 million square foot building which drives much of the city's visitor economy. There are two historic districts in this section of Planning District One, the Warehouse District and Lafayette Square. Across the street from the Convention Center, the Warehouse District has many historic sites including Gallier Hall and Julia Row. This area contains a concentration of art galleries and studio/loft space anchored by the Contemporary Arts Center and the Louisiana Children's Museum. The community takes pride in its mixed use urban ambience, the arts involvement, and its pedestrian accessibility.

Planning District One is the center of much of the economic activity in New Orleans: it is the location of the Convention Center, the Vieux Carré, downtown businesses, the medical district, and the Warehouse District. The population of the district is a small portion of the city's, although it is growing -- unlike the rest of New Orleans -- and will probably continue to increase with the continued strength of the residential market in all portions of this District. The average household income of the residents is among the highest of any planning district in the city. 

Issues/Problem Areas

Important components of the city's economic base are located in Planning District One. Tourists come to this District, drawn by the functions that occur in the Convention Center and by the many attractions in the Vieux Carré and the Warehouse District. World famous hotels and restaurants dot the map of this District, and new construction and renovation is visible throughout the area. As positive as these economic attractions are to the city's economy, they simultaneously create several planning issues. Specifically, the pleasing mixture of residential and commercial uses in the French Quarter is threatened by its very popularity: there are intense development pressures to convert residential properties into more lucrative commercial uses. In the Warehouse District, the opening of more and more art galleries and art-related uses, the conversion of derelict manufacturing buildings to trendy residences, the opening of new hotels and restaurants, have all contributed to a parking shortage. Throughout the District there is a shortage of retail shops which serve the everyday needs of residents: grocery and hardware stores, dry cleaning establishments, and so forth. And finally, the CBD is enjoying strong economic activity: the Canal Streetcar Line is nearing construction, new hotels are in the process of being built while others are proposed, and a culinary institute promises to take the place of a long-vacant theater and two abandoned warehouses.

This new development energy must be carefully guided so that traffic and parking needs do not inhibit further growth, so that infrastructure needs are satisfied, so that the fragile historical districts are sustained, and so that the whole District benefits as much as the city itself does. For example, reviving Canal Street as a vibrant urban space, in accord with the ULI study mentioned above, would not only restore some of that corridor's former retail vitality, it would encourage tourists to look at places other than the French Quarter, thereby relieving some of the pressure that the area's residents sometimes feel is overwhelming.

In the course of developing this land use plan, citizens have identified these and other problems related to the existing pattern of land uses in District One. The residents' assessment of problems are confirmed in detailed neighborhood plans as well as in the daily duties of the City Planning Commission to research zoning applications. Briefly, they are as follows:

 
• Pressure from the successful tourism industry to convert residential uses to commercial uses in the Vieux Carré; 
• Parking shortages in the Warehouse District; 
• Decline in the quality of shops and activities on Canal Street; 
• Failure to manage the large number of tourists in the Vieux Carré; 
• Problems relative to the improvements of the nearby public housing developments and their effective integration with the surrounding neighborhoods; 
• Lack of adequate access to the river from the Warehouse District; 
• Increase in the number of nonconforming uses due to the lack of enforcement of the existing regulations; 
• unpredictability of the land use regulatory process. 

Plan Recommendations

The 1999 Land Use Plan must center its recommendations on maintaining a balance between serving and protecting the residential needs of the district, and encouraging continued economic growth that has benefits beyond the district. Dealing with all these issues requires several different land use measures. Perhaps the most significant of these is administrative accountability. Planning District One has enjoyed a great deal of professional planning scrutiny over the years, and yet the same issues recur. Many individuals and organized groups have warned repeatedly that "creeping commercialism" is threatening the unique qualities of the Vieux Carré; almost every study of Canal Street ends with a ringing call for restoring it to its former retail prominence; drainage capacity has been studied, quantified, and found lacking. The recommendations in the 1999 Land Use Plan will work to bring about a future that citizens agree they would like to see, but only if these recommendations are reliably carried out by officials whose elected or appointed office gives them the requisite authority. 

An example of successful administrative accountability can be found in this District, on this very issue. The zoning ordinance does not allow new hotel construction in the French Quarter, and although several individuals have proposed such construction there, they have never succeeded in getting approval. As a result, enterprising hoteliers have had to look elsewhere for suitable sites in order to meet the demand that construction of the third phase of the Convention Center will bring, and have found many locations elsewhere in Planning District One, where there have been many projects involving renovation and new construction during the past several months. It has taken both economic demand and administrative accountability to achieve this beneficial result. The 1999 Land Use Plan will succeed in bringing about the desired future it describes only if economic demand is guided by administrators who feel their actions must be accountable.

The specific land use recommendations for this District are as follows:

Mixed Use category of land use is a hybrid category that encourages a flexible mix of residential, commercial, and certain light industrial uses. The application of mixed use is appropriate when it is based on principles of compatibility developed within the neighborhood. In New Orleans, and especially in Planning District One, mixed use development has a long history that includes some of the city's most vibrant neighborhoods. These thriving areas include much of the Vieux Carré, where even the most predominately residential areas include small bars, bookshops, restaurants, and convenience shops. Many shops in the historic district have residential space on the second and third floors of their buildings. In the Warehouse District and the CBD, there have been many conversions of formerly-commercial or industrial buildings to residential uses, and many of these have retail shops or small professional businesses on the first floors. Mixed uses would clearly be appropriate on the vacant parcels that appear throughout the District: such development would merely continue the pleasing, even quaint, mix of compatible uses. Furthermore, use of this designation encourages a more intensely residential use of the District in such areas as Canal Street, the French Quarter, or the CBD.

The mixed use category can be differentiated into two classes, depending upon the scale and location where this hybrid category is applied. Neighborhood mixed use is designed to allow small scale commercial and residential activities to co-exist, either in the same building or in adjacent buildings. Such a category would be appropriate in the Vieux Carré, where much of the neighborhood has historically developed in this fashion. Before the automobile became widely used, it wasn't unusual that citizens lived, worked, and shopped within a ten-block radius. Urban mixed use is intended to encourage redevelopment of large vacant properties or to permit an adaptation of the uses of large historic buildings that formerly had rather intensive activities. Both scales of mixed use categories have a ready application to Planning District One.

Urban Mixed Use has been applied to the Warehouse District area. This designation is intended to bolster redevelopment currently taking place in the neighborhood. This includes larger scale projects such as the recently converted Cotton Mill and smaller, but still urban-natured Julia Row townhouses. This neighborhood lends itself to a slightly higher density Mixed Use with the ability to house residences and office space in the same structure. Urban Mixed Use is a method that can accommodate industrial sites whose economic life is waning but still viable. 

Neighborhood Mixed Use applies to many portions of the Vieux Carré. This category is intended to encourage residents to move back into the neighborhood and occupy now-vacant space above commercial shops, thereby preserving the unique character of the area. Note that when this general category is translated into appropriate zoning districts, the Vieux Carré as well as the Warehouse District will probably have a variety of Mixed use categories to cover the different situations that exist there: some areas have Creole cottages next to corner stores, some blocks have multi-story buildings with mostly commercial uses on the first level and living spaces above. It is not in the scope of the Generalized Land Use Plan to distinguish between these types of Neighborhood Mixed use; the implementation of the Land Use Plan requires revision of the Comprehensive Zoning Ordinance to accommodate the types of mixed use areas citizens desire. 

The "Downtown" designation, applied to the Central Business District, is de facto a form of the Mixed use category. The CBD has many-storied office buildings, the bulk of which are large -- a typical architectural feature of urban centers. The downtown designation allows high-density office space (often in the form of skyscrapers), retail centers, residential opportunities, tourism facilities, green space, and preservation of existing historic structures. In many parts of the downtown area, a properly designed set of mixed use zoning districts could increase the use of vacant buildings or buildings in which only the first floor is occupied. This is consistent with the DDD's proposal for residential uses on the second and third floors along Canal Street; it would also be consistent with that entity's goal of increasing residential uses in and around the New Orleans Medical Center. As with the Vieux Carré, the Plan anticipates a variety of different zoning classifications will be developed to implement this one land use category.

Centralization of commercial services: To minimize the negative effects of commercial uses on adjacent residential neighborhoods, the 1999 Land Use Plan proposes that future commercial development be limited to areas along major streets and where commercial uses are already concentrated. The needs of residents of Planning District One can principally be met by redevelopment of existing buildings in the neighborhood mixed use category described above.

Regional Commercial:The city supports the recommendations of the Urban Land Institute to revitalize Canal Street as an important retail and entertainment locale which serves several markets. The area near the intersection of Canal and Rampart/Basin could become an entertainment district, popular with local and regional residents. Large scale commercial activity is appropriate on Canal Street between Rampart and Claiborne. The particular intent of this solution is to designate an area for larger scale neighborhood services such as an urban grocery or variety store for residential dwellers of the Vieux Carré, Warehouse District and New Orleans Medical district. The daily retail needs of these residents are not adequately served at present.

Neighborhood Commercial: The plan has designated neighborhood commercial along North Rampart Street, an idea consistent with the Urban Land Institute's recommendations to use this corridor as a linkage between the National Jazz Historical Park (with a visitor's center in Armstrong Park) and Canal Street. Neighborhood scale commercial use is appropriate here because of the concerns of neighbors that intense development would be harmful to the residential nature of the blocks which lie behind Rampart Street.

Industrial Uses: The plan has no areas designated as industrial, a sign that Planning District One has developed in a "post-industrial" pattern, despite its proximity to railroad tracks and wharves. However, the nature of "high-tech" industry -- such as manufacturers of computer chips -- would allow such uses in office buildings and in certain mixed use sections of the District. These modern industries are small and clean, and do most of their shipping with such rapid couriers as Federal Express or UPS; their business does not have the characteristics of heavy industry that required large trucks and that created environmental pollution, and therefore had to be kept separate from other uses.

Recreational Uses/Green space: The land use plan complements the proposal by the National Park Service to make New Orleans home to the National Jazz Historical Park, with a visitor's center in Armstrong Park. The park will open a corridor for celebration of this uniquely American art form, and should draw families to visit the city; simultaneously, it should help revitalize surrounding neighborhoods and provide many jobs both in the park and in businesses that open to serve the visitors. Properly designed, this park should reduce some of the tourist pressure on the French Quarter. Because this park is so close to Treme, its effects will also be discussed in Planning District Four.

Green space along the riverfront in the Vieux Carré has been increased on the proposed land use map to connect with proposed green space along the riverfront area of the Marigny/Bywater section in District Seven. Although there are limitations for expanding green space upriver due to port facilities and the Convention Center, the Plan supports any creative means to connect the levee in District Two with the foot of Canal Street and the riverfront downstream.

Institutional Uses: There are many institutions in Planning District One, most notably hospitals in the medical district; universities in the medical district and the arts district; the federal government in various courts, office buildings, and parks; state government at the Convention Center and in various office buildings; and local government in City Hall. These are typical uses to be found in a Central Business District and form a sizable retail market that revitalization of Canal Street could serve. 

The 1999 Land Use Plan recommends that all these institutions develop (or revise) parking and circulation plans, which should be reviewed by the City Planning Commission and by any affected neighbors. For example, moving the State Supreme Court from its location near City Hall to the Wildlife and Fishery Building must be carefully planned to insure that the relocation does not negate the efforts of the land use plan to reduce congestion. 

In addition, the New Orleans Medical Center is continuing efforts to unify its presence as an identifiable part of town. The Land Use Plan has incorporated the Master Plan for NORMC; as this plan is revised, the biennial review of the Land Use Plan can accommodate beneficial changes. 

Other Recommendations:

Transportation systems structure much of how a city functions. Planning District One has all modes of transportation traveling through its heart: trains, ships, buses, tractor-trailers, autos, streetcars, and pedestrians. A great benefit of a downtown area is that cars are not necessary to go shopping or out to lunch. Walking is the most prevalent form of transportation within District One, although getting in and out of the area is still accomplished mostly by automobile. Indeed, easy vehicular access to the Vieux Carré is a continuing issue, because congestion is increasing on the narrow streets that are not equipped to handle tour buses and bumper-to-bumper traffic. The Plan encourages development of a visitor center and parking lot for visiting vehicles, as well as a shuttle to the perimeter of the French Quarter. The center would reduce the vehicular pressure on the neighborhood, solve the problem of parking shortages, and ensure the safety of tourists, residents, and the city's architectural history. 

The 1999 Land Use Plan recognizes the efforts of other agencies to reduce automobile traffic. The Regional Transit Authority is about to begin construction of the Canal Streetcar line, and is currently planning for other streetcar routes. The Plan supports a proposed regional rail hub at the Union Passenger Terminal on Loyola Avenue. It is expected that the new Gulf Coast High Speed Rail Corridor will connect through New Orleans and provide a link between downtown and the airport. All these efforts will reduce traffic congestion as they reduce the number of cars commuting into Planning District One. Furthermore, as detailed plans for any of these projects become available, they can be accommodated in the biennial review cycle of the Master Plan, which includes as a central element the 1999 Land Use Plan. The routine process of review ensures that large decisions such as those having to do with transportation systems will be integrated into the suggestions of the Land Use Plan. 

Finally, the Land Use Plan supports the coordinated activities by HANO to revitalize the Iberville and Lafitte public housing developments. The housing authority's efforts will improve the physical characteristics of these two areas, set reliable standards for the conduct of tenants, reduce the density of occupants, offer home-ownership opportunities, and generally implement measures to integrate the citizens who live in these communities into the larger city.