2009 Chase Community Development Competition Finalists
Broad Street reFresh: A Fresh Food Hub for Community, Health & Economic Development
- Submitted by: Massachusetts Institute of Technology and Washington University in St. Louis
- Nonprofit Partner: Broad Community Connections
The NENA Housing & Economic Development Resource Center
- Submitted by: The New School
- Nonprofit Partner: The Neighborhood Empowerment Network Association (NENA)
Reconnecting Riverview: A new vision for Old Algiers
- Submitted by: Tulane University and Massachusetts Institute of Technology
- Nonprofit Partner: The Algiers Redevelopment Foundation and The Salvation Army
MLK Blvd Mixed Use Housing
- Submitted by: UC Davis and University of Oregon
- Nonprofit Partner: Jericho Road Episcopal Housing Initiative
5523 St. Claude Avenue: Bringing Fresh Food to the Lower Ninth Ward
- Submitted by: University of New Orleans, DePaul University and Louisiana State University
- Nonprofit Partner: Lower Ninth Ward Center for Sustainable Engagement and Development
State of Louisiana Approves $7 million for Fresh Food Initiative
The state of Louisiana has approved $7 million for the Fresh Food Retailers Initiative program allowing the City of New Orleans to access federal Community Development Block Grant funds needed
to implement the project.
The Fresh Food Retail Initiative is a three-year program of forgivable and low-interest loans made to supermarkets, grocery stores and other fresh food retailers, designed to provide healthy
food at affordable prices in underserved neighborhoods in New Orleans
The funding comes from the Long Term Community Recovery Program, a $700 million pool of federal disaster-recovery money set aside by the Louisiana Recovery Authority and Office of Community Development to help local governments rebuild and implement long-term recovery plans...more
Where, after all, do universal human rights begin? In small places closest to home- so close and so small that they cannot be seen on any map of the world. Yet they are the world of the individual person: the neighborhood he lives in; the school or college he attends; the factory, farm or office where he works. Such are the places where every man and woman and child seeks equal justice, equal opportunity, equal dignity without discrimination.
— Eleanor Roosevelt, remarks at the United Nations, March 27, 1953, quoted in “Design for the Other 90%”, Cooper Hewitt National Design Museum, NY 200 )
Ronald Lewis, Founder of the House of Dance & Feathers
(Kathy Anderson / The Times-Picayune)
The House of Dance and Feathers honors the cultural traditions of the Mardi Gras Indians
and Social Aid and Pleasure Clubs of New Orleans, with an emphasis on the social and cultural
history of the Lower Ninth Ward. The museum began as a backyard shed, barber shop and
gathering place for family and friends, and as a personal archive of cultural objects and photo-
graphs, that served to anchor conversations with young people about their community,
culture, and history…more
Spirit Vessel (fired earthware clay)
Rashida Ua Bakari Ferdinand, an artist/sculptor living and working in the Holy Cross/ Lower 9th Ward area. Check out www.thisoldhouse.com, and take a walk with Rashida around the Lower 9th Ward and hear a warm and welcoming talk about the neighborhood.
With week 6, Parsons & Milano are busy as ever. With the report due in a less than 2 weeks, everybody’s working extremely hard to meet their deadlines. Letters of support are coming in. Financing is being hammered out. And has anybody seen any of the architects?
Here is a new logo (& button version) that merges the iconic fleur de lis of new orleans with the soon-to-be iconic pushpin of NENA.
(Photographer: Frank Chen)
Houses of the Future
Four years after the levee failures, New Orleans is seeing an unexpected boom in architectural experimentation. Small, independent developers are succeeding in getting houses built where the government has failed. And the city’s unique challenges—among them environmental impediments, an entrenched culture of leisure, and a casual acquaintance with regulation—are spurring design innovations that may redefine American architecture for a generation (Wayne Curtis) …more
From: Charlotte
When people get to see growth. Growth in the agency (NENA) itself is growth for the Lower 9th Ward…it helps the sustainability for employment, we have 11 to 25 employees. So… the agency is growing, and in turn the community grows.
Leroy Crawford, NENA (April 2009)
As NENA grows alongside the Lower 9th Ward community, it adapts to new challenges brought about by a growing population (food, education, employment & housing). The adaptation of NENA to its changing environment — by providing new resources & services to Lower 9th residents first — places a high demand on NENA, i.e. to be a unifying voice for the Lower 9th Ward.
Last May, when The New School met up with NENA, we got a chance to talk a little bit about branding/identity. Here’s a quote which I think helps define branding/identity in a more practical way:
Identity should not be a nail for you to hang your coat on, but a landscape in which you can move around.
So in thinking about NENA in the context of a “landscape,” you begin to map out NENA as part of an extensive network that includes partnerships with the rest of New Orleans and beyond (non-profits, volunteers, NGOs, churches, government agencies, private sector). In addition, the physical and virtual landscapes become of interest. For example, nowadays, creating a logo means thinking about the web and animation; and how the logo can be used in signage, under various weather conditions; but also be read clearly on a business card or letterhead.
NENA is an organization rooted in the Lower 9th Ward. Approaching their identity means imagining NENA not just one year from now, but 5, 10 years down the line. It’s in the organization’s nature to grow and continue to adapt. An identity for NENA must reflect this.
NENA was formed because we wanted to make sure that there was a focus, not that we weren’t connected to other larger issues with the city, nationally, larger human rights issues, but there was no concerted effort to concentrate on the issues that were largely impacting Lower Nine, and so that’s what NENA came up to be.
— Tricia Jones, Director of NENA
Top view of proposed NENA building layout (St. Claude street on right & Lamanche street at bottom of image)
Aerial view of proposed NENA building from St. Claude street, visualizing entrance into parking lot.
Adrien & Emily discuss community networks and how surrounding buildings will influence the design of the NENA building.
Thought it’d be of interest to find out more about the conference where the 2009 Chase Competition is being held…
The National Brownfields Conference is the largest, most comprehensive conference in the nation focused on environmental revitalization and economic redevelopment. Whether you’re a newcomer to the world of economic and environmental redevelopment, or a seasoned professional looking to make new connections and increase your business…more
Congratulations –The New School team has been selected to advance to the next round of the 2009 Chase Community Development Competition!
Reviewer Feedback – Great start on project. The abstract was clear and headed in the right direction. Please provide contact information for nonprofit partner including a contact person.