CLAIBORNE AVENUE ALLIANCE DESIGN STUDIO
ENVISION NEIGHBORHOODS CONNECTED BY STREETS THAT FLOW
The October 2019 collapse of the Hard Rock Hotel in downtown New Orleans and the subsequent street closures clearly illustrate what happens when roadways are closed and disconnected from one another: congestion. Neighborhoods suffer too. Dead ends develop, destroying links between residents and preventing safe and easy passage from one place to another. Connectivity is broken.
At least ten streets were closed when the Claiborne Expressway was constructed, resulting in dark, isolated places that are perfect for harboring criminal activities. The removal of I-10 over Claiborne will reopen the grid, ease travel and reconnect the adjacent neighborhoods. So, what about Carmageddon? Fear not. Highway removals across the world have proven that traffic will naturally disperse and flow. Connectivity can be restored.
URBAN DEVELOPMENT PATTERNS
Photo: New Orleans Public Library