NEW ORLEANS — The City of New Orleans today announced the launch of the public participation phase of the Big Green Easy, the City’s park and recreation master plan. This master plan fulfills the commitment made by Mayor LaToya Cantrell and the four major park agencies: New Orleans Recreation Development (NORD) Commission, Parks and Parkways (PPW), Audubon Nature Institute and City Park - as part of the 2019 parks and recreation millage proposal that passed with 76 percent voter approval.
“It is my administration’s goal to deliver bold, equitable climate action and green infrastructure projects that achieve major environmental, health, social and economic benefits for all residents,” said Mayor LaToya Cantrell. “We embrace this holistic approach that improves our residents’ quality of life by beautifying our city and does it in an intentional way to make us more resilient for the future. I encourage all residents to actively participate and become involved in how their city’s parks are shaped.”
The Big Green Easy master plan will be driven with equity and resilience at its foundation. The plan is a commitment to a just, fair and inclusive park and recreation system that is tailored to meet the unique needs of New Orleans’ communities, particularly those that are currently underserved. It will also harness the potential of the citywide park system to absorb stormwater, protect critical wildlife habitat and support the city’s social fabric and cultural lifeways.
“The Community engagement phase is a core priority of the City’s park and recreation master plan,” said Larry Barabino, Jr., NORD CEO. “This plan will ultimately decide the future of our city’s parks and recreation services. I encourage residents to actively participate in all of the planned community engagement opportunities.”
“Improvement of the City’s public spaces is driven by public input,” said Michael Karam, Director of PPW. “The Department of Parks and Parkways looks forward to applying the public feedback and the Big Green Easy master plan into current park use and when crafting future greenspaces to strengthen communities.”
“Community engagement is a key component in creating a visionary plan for urban park systems,” said City Park Conservancy President and CEO Cara Lambright. “As a Park Partner, we are excited by this endeavor for our city, and we hope the community responds with passionate participation. This is an opportunity for the people to have a voice in enhancing our parks, and city, as a whole.”
The value of public input has always been prioritized by the Cantrell Administration. The master plan will gather feedback from a wide array of community-based organizations and residents in order to create holistic strategies to advance the City’s goals. In addition, there will be multiple opportunities for residents and community groups to get involved in the planning process and provide feedback:
- Park Ambassador – Interested residents can sign up here to be a paid member of the planning team who will help develop creative outreach and engagement strategies
- Survey – The City launched a comprehensive survey to gather feedback and input from residents
- Community Workshops – Beginning on March 6, the City will host a series of in-person community workshops from 6 p.m. to 7:30 p.m.
- March 6: Joe Brown Recreation Center (5601 Read Blvd.)
- March 7: Treme Recreation Center (900 N. Villere St.)
- March 8: Morris F.X. Jeff Recreation Center (2529 General Meyer Ave.)
- March 9: Dominion Learning Center Audubon Auditorium (6500 Magazine St.)
“New Orleans is blessed with many wonderful parks and green spaces. We encourage people to get involved with the Big Green Easy to share how those spaces can benefit the entire community,” said Ron Forman, Audubon Nature Institute President and CEO. “Our green spaces make the city more beautiful and they also encourage people to spend time outdoors enjoying nature.”
To learn more, visit nola.gov/youth.
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