2. Table of Contents
1. Introduction
2. Sustainability Defined
3. Weaknesses
a. Wetland Management
b. Transportation and Transit
4. Strengths
a. Renewable Energy
b. GreeNOLA: A Strategy for a Sustainable New Orleans
5. Recommendations
a. Short Term
b. Long Term
5. Conclusion
3. Introduction
New Orleans has a rich history dating back to its first inhabitants the Native Americans
of the Woodland and Mississippian tribes. However, it was not until hundreds of years
later that city was coined La Nouvelle-Orléans by Jean-Baptiste Le Moyne de Bienville
in 1718. The city is currently known for things, including, its Creole culture, vibrant
history, New Orleans jazz, and its Mardi Gras Festival.
Unfortunately, the city has faced many catastrophes since its founding centuries ago.
The Great Fires of New Orleans, which occurred in both 1788 and 1794, destroyed
almost all of buildings in the city, were the first of the town’s major catastrophes. In the
years following the fires, significant battles were fought over the city, including the War
of 1812 and the Civil War. Arguably, the most damaging phenomena has been the large
number of devastating hurricanes that the city has dealt with in its 300-year existence
with Hurricane Katrina in 2005 causing the most financial damage and killing 1,465 in
Louisiana.1
However, the city that is largely below sea level now faces a new battle
rising sea levels due to climate change. It is this new challenge that forces the town to
look to sustainable measures such as improved resilience, and adaption and mitigation
to climate change to thrive in the future.
A Policy Guide for a Sustainable New Orleans (Guide) was prepared to identify what the
City of New Orleans is doing well and where it could improve in the area of
sustainability. The Strategy will analyze where existing policies, initiatives, and
investments have failed, fallen short, or are missing. Finally, it will make a case for what
the policy weaknesses are and identify potential solutions.
4. The Guide looks at current sustainability deficiencies in wetlands management and
transportation and transit. Conversely, it will offer an overview of the current strengths
such as renewable energy policy and the GreeNOLA: A Strategy for a Sustainable New
Orleans report. Lastly, it will provide both short and long-term policy recommendations
to improve the city's resilience and future sustainability. The Guide will allow users to
gain a high-level picture of the areas of need and opportunities to improve the
sustainability of the City of New Orleans.
2. Sustainability Defined
Before, the Guide analyzes New Orleans existing policies, initiatives, and investments it
is necessary to define the term sustainability as will be used in this report. First, the
report will look a few of the most recognized definitions of sustainability prior to
providing the definition chosen for use in this document.
The definition of sustainability most often utilized originates from the United Nations
report, Our Common Future, more commonly known as the Brundtland Report.
Furthermore, the present discourse around sustainability regularly equates sustainability
to sustainable development, which the Brundtland Report defines as, “development
which meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future
generations to meet their needs”.2
Ahmedi & Toghyani provide a more detailed definition that takes a broader look at what
sustainability entails, “To achieve sustainability in urban communities, the existing
literature points to five dimensions of sustainable development: 1) economic
5. sustainability, 2) social sustainability, 3) ecological sustainability, 4) sustainable spatial
development, and 5) cultural continuity.”3
Drawing upon these definitions, the following has been developed as the working
definition of a sustainable community for this document:
Developing, or more appropriately, transforming communities to become sustainable
involves a new understanding of the dynamics between human and environmental
health. Sustainable development is a platform upon which opportunities to be more
environmentally and socially responsible present themselves. Consequently, a
sustainable community is one in which the built environment is inclusive of a variety of
social and economic agendas that all behave with a respect and understanding of
environmental limitations, threats, and opportunities.
3. Weaknesses
The following section will take a look at New Orleans deficiencies in existing policies,
initiatives, and investments regarding wetland management and transportation and
transit.
a. Wetland Management
Wetland management policies or lack thereof is one of the major issues that has led to
many of the sustainability problems that New Orleans faces today. The wetlands have a
substantial impact on the sustainability of the city as they provide many benefits,
including, storm surge protection, erosion and flood control, natural filtering of water,
and provide habitats for rare species and wildlife.4
Unfortunately, the city has done a
6. very poor job of protecting this valuable resource over the past two centuries. The
amount of wetland loss in Louisiana has been staggering, in the last five decades as
much as 80% of the nation’s coastal wetland loss occurred in the state and from 1932 to
2000, it lost 1,900 square miles of land to the Gulf of Mexico.5
The loss of this vast
amount of the city’s coastal wetlands played a significant role in the disastrous flooding
of the Gulf Coast during Hurricane Katrina. The state has now enacted policies to
combat the loss and regenerate the wetlands, however, the efforts are not enough.
Although, Congress passed the 1990 Coastal Wetlands Planning, Protection, and
Restoration Act its effect has been minimal. The Act provided $50 million each year for
wetlands restoration projects in Louisiana, which has provided funding for 118
restoration projects, 75 of which have already built.6
However, most of these projects
are relatively small in scale.
b. Transportation and Transit
According to the American Society of Civil Engineers, 2013 Report Card for America's
Infrastructure, New Orleans roads and bridges are mostly below standard, approaching
the end of their service life, and the condition and capacity are of significant concern
with a strong risk of failure.7
Unfortunately, while the city’s roads are falling apart, it
provides little in the way of sustainable modes of transportation such as public transit,
and walkable and bikeable infrastructure, which reduce greenhouse gas emissions.
New Orleans has been rated as somewhat bikeable and walkable, however, this means
that only some errands can be accomplished on foot or bike.8
In addition to the city’s
lack of bikeable and walkable neighborhoods, it has a very ineffective public
transportation system as well. Currently, just 36% of the pre-Katrina public transit
7. service offered by the New Orleans Regional Transit Authority (RTA) in 2005 had been
restored, although 86% of New Orleans’ population has returned to the city
disproportionately affecting low-income neighborhoods, communities of color, and areas
where people have less access to personal vehicles.9
Regrettably, Louisiana’s current
policy of financing transportation through a 16 cent-per-gallon gas tax established in
1984 is outdated. The funds, which are allocated to the Louisiana Department of
Transportation Development are now worth only 7 cents per gallon because of inflation,
and as vehicles achieve better fuel efficiencies, tax revenues continue to decline.10
4. Strengths
The following section will take a look at New Orleans successes in existing policies,
initiatives, and investments regarding renewable energy and GreeNOLA: A Strategy for
a Sustainable New Orleans report.
a. Renewable Energy
The City of New Orleans has been making great strides in increasing the amount of
renewable energy produced in the city through various policies. First, the city has
provided tax credits in addition to those already through the federal government for
homes that install different types of renewable energy producing devices. Currently,
New Orleans offers a tax credit that covers as much as 50 percent of the first $25,000
spent on a range of renewable energy technologies, including solar hot water and
electricity, and wind power generators.11
In addition to the aforementioned policy, the
city has leveraged $1.4 million federal Department of Energy grant to install full-scale
hydrokinetic turbine generator in the Mississippi River.12
So, all in all, the city is doing an
8. excellent job with its existing policies, initiatives, and investments regarding renewable
energy.
b. GreeNOLA: A Strategy for a Sustainable New Orleans
Perhaps, the biggest success in the area of sustainability achieved by New Orleans was
its creation of the report entitled GreeNOLA: A Strategy for a Sustainable New Orleans
(GreeNOLA). While the report itself is not a policy per say, but it is more of a tool to
guide decision makers in determining what policies would be best for the city.
GreeNOLA is a comprehensive approach to New Orleans “recovery by incorporating
leading ideas about sustainable and smart urban development into the recovery
process”.13
GreeNOLA sets sustainability goals to be achieved within short-term (1
year), medium-term (3 years), and long-term (10 years). Additionally, it aims to identify
and achieve sustainability goals in six broad program areas including: 1. Green
Buildings & Energy Efficiency; 2. Alternative Energy; 3. Waste Reduction, Reuse, &
Recycling; 4. Transportation & Clean Fuels; 5. Environmental Outreach & Justice; 6.
Flood Risk Reduction. GreenNOLA does an excellent job of setting guidelines for
success by using sustainability metrics and indicators, identifying best practices from
other cities in the United States, documenting existing New Orleans projects and
programs, and incorporating lessons learned.
5. Recommendations
The following two sections will offer recommendations to The City of New Orleans
regarding what short and long term policies should be enacted to make the city more
sustainable.
9. a. Short Term
The Guide believes in the short term the city should focus its policies toward improving
resiliency before looking to adapt and mitigate climate change. The Center for
Resilience defines resilience as, “The capacity of a system to survive, adapt, and grow
in the face of unforeseen changes, even catastrophic incidents”.14
The fact that New
Orleans is still recovering from Hurricane Katrina and is constantly at risk of other
catastrophic incidents makes it imperative that the city look at rapidly stabilizing the city.
The current disrepair amongst the city's transportation systems, neighborhoods, public
health, and lack of civic and commercial service makes the town less resilient to future
disasters. At present, more than half of New Orleans 13 planning districts still have
significant numbers of vacancies and lack many of the civic and commercial services
that they had before the storm, and many of these districts already suffered from
disinvestment before Hurricane Katrina.15
So, short-term policy choices would be best
aimed at providing vital services to the city’s residents in lieu of providing tax credits for
things like solar panels, which overwhelming benefit middle and upper-class
homeowners.16
Recently, the Federal Emergency Management Agency and New
Orleans reached a settlement of $2 billion settlement aimed at fixing roads and water,
sewer and drainage pipes.17
The settlement is a significant boost for the city,
unfortunately again, low-income neighborhoods, communities of color, and areas where
people have less access to personal vehicles will not benefit as much as citizens that
can afford vehicles as the settlement does not provide for assistance to the city's ailing
public transportation system. In conclusion, the cities short term policies should provide
10. assistance for all of it citizens, however, the less resilient low-income neighborhoods
and communities of color should be given the first priority.
b. Long Term
The Guide believes in the long run that the town should focus its policies toward policies
that will help with the adaption and mitigation of climate change. In the long term, the
city should continue expanding on its current renewable energy policies. However, it
should expand its NOLAwise program, which would benefit lower income families
through youth education in environmental literacy and stewardship18
and provide low-
interest loans to homeowners looking to improve energy efficiency and cut down on
utility bills.19
Also, the city must work to restore its wetlands not only for the reasons
above of storm surge protection and erosion and flood control but to provide economic
benefits to a struggling community. The wetlands can be of economic benefit by
providing commodities such as cranberries and fish, offering spatial amenities to
developments, and boosting money making recreational activities.20
Finally, New
Orleans .create an extensive smart growth land use policy in an effort to improve the
city’s future sustainability. The benefits of promoting smart growth land use patterns in
New Orleans and the region include reduced greenhouse gas emissions, improved
housing options and affordability, improved accessibility and transport options,
transportation cost savings, reduced crash risk, improved fitness and health, and public
service cost savings, just to name a few.21
New Orleans can significantly enhance its
future sustainability through the implementation of these long-term recommendations
and achieve even greater success when combined with a strong short-term strategy.
11. 5. Conclusion
New Orleans-born author, Lura Robinson once wrote, “Through pestilence, hurricanes,
and conflagrations the people continued to sing. They sang through the long oppressive
years of conquering the swampland and fortifying the town against the ever threatening
Mississippi. They are singing today. An irrepressible joie de vivre maintains the
unbroken thread of music through the air. Yet, on occasion, if you ask an overburdened
citizen why he is singing so gaily, he will give the time-honored reason, “Why to keep
from crying, of course!”22
Although the citizens of New Orleans have faced many trials
and tribulations throughout its history, it is this resilient attitude that will propel the city in
its recovery. The analysis of the strengths and weakness of the city’s existing policies,
initiatives, and investments found in this Guide provides a concise overview of the
current conditions. Lastly, the short-term and long-term recommendations offered in this
Guide will advise the future policy decisions of the city.
12. Endnotes
1
Schleifstein, M. (2012). Hurricanes: The Times-Picayune covers 175 years of New
Orleans history. The Times-Picayune.
2
Brundtland, G. H. (1987). Our Common Future. World Commission on Environment
and Development. Oxford University Press
3
Pijawka, K. D., & Beatley, T. (2015). Sustainability for the 21st Century: Pathways,
Programs, and Policies. Dubuque, IA: Kendall Hunt.
4
Minnesota Department of Natural Resources. (2016). Benefits of Wetlands. Ecological
and Water Resources.
5
Tibbetts, J. (2006). Louisiana’s Wetlands: A Lesson in Nature Appreciation.
Environmental Health Perspectives, 114(1). doi:10.1289/ehp.114-a40
6
Tibbetts, J. (2006). Louisiana’s Wetlands: A Lesson in Nature Appreciation.
Environmental Health Perspectives, 114(1). doi:10.1289/ehp.114-a40
7
American Society of Civil Engineers. (2016). Louisiana Infrastructure. 2013 Report
Card for America's Infrastructure.
8
Walk Score. (2016). Living in New Orleans. New Orleans Neighborhoods on Walk
Score.
9
RIDE New Orleans. (2012). The State of Transit in New Orleans, Ten Years After
Katrina.
10
American Society of Civil Engineers. (2016). Louisiana Infrastructure. 2013 Report
Card for America's Infrastructure.
11
Thompson, R. (2012). Solar panels becoming a hot item among New Orleans area
consumers. The Times-Picayune.
12
Griggs, T. (2011). River Turbine Working. The Advocate. Capital City Press LLC.
13
The Louisiana Disaster Recovery Foundation. (2009). GreeNOLA: A Strategy for a
Sustainable New Orleans.
14
Center for Resilience at The Ohio State University. (2016). Resilience and
Sustainability Concepts.
15
The City of New Orleans. (2010). Plan for the 21st Century.
13. 16
Hernandez, M. (2013). Solar Power to the People: The Rise of Rooftop Solar Among
the Middle Class. Center for American Progress.
17
Durret, C. (2015). New Orleans, FEMA agree to $2B settlement to fix roads,
infrastructure. WDSU New Orleans.
18
Global Green USA. (2016). NOLA Wise. Global Green in NOLA.
19
Thompson, R. (2012). Solar panels becoming a hot item among New Orleans area
consumers. The Times-Picayune.
20
Minnesota Department of Natural Resources. (2016). Benefits of Wetlands. Ecological
and Water Resources.
21
Litman, T. (2011). Evaluating Smart Growth Benefits and Costs. Planetizen Press
22
Robinson, L. (1948). It's an old New Orleans custom. New York: Vanguard Press.
