Publiek versus privaat op straat

Perspective St Anthony
drained at the beginning of the 20th separated by longer periods of drought. Additionally the hurricane decimated the
century. Since then, fast discharge and Already today, the large volumes of rain
deep drainage and only small amounts in short time periods often exceed the Louisiana.
of open water result in a low
capacity of the outdated and broken
groundwater table, dry soils and
Vacancy and its resulting changes of
consequently subsidence of these now large amounts of property damage, and atmosphere in the neighbourhoods
urbanised, former ‘backswamp’ lands. sometimes even casualties (NWSFO, 4) Heavy emotions after Katrina and
Originally slightly above sea level these
unsupported plans for urban renewal led
lands have fallen up to 3m below sea during a 1/ 10 year storm event (BCG
level, causing them to suffer the worst Engineering, 2003), for which the
storage assignment was calculated in this recovery. Today, 20% of the New
complicates the draining of the city and
worsens existing water problems by for the residential areas of Gentilly and
shifting subsurface drains and canals, Lakeview.
whether they ever will, as people have
loosening joints and causing leaks,
rebuilt their lives elsewhere in the U.S.,
breaks, and bottlenecks in the system. The permanent consequence of vegetation loss leaving their lots empty, overgrown or in
3) Both the strong winds and the ruins in what were once thriving middle
Subsidence
class suburbs. The resulting striking
destroyed 70% of the urban canopy, an image of a perforated urban tissue with
the annual precipitation is 1572 mm estimated total amount of 100.000 trees closed schools, unreturned grocery
stores, and scattered inhospitable
extremely intensive; rainfall in excess of
structures has a detrimental effect on
microclimate resulting in a lack of shade aesthetics. Large numbers of inactive
hours is an almost annual event in the during hot summers. The remaining plots give parts of the area a feeling of
fragmented green structure and barren neglect and desertedness. In this
The effects of climate change mean that and deserted looking suburban
condition the poor urban environment
New Orleans has to prepare itself for landscape offers little to no
not only provides limited possibilities
even more intense rainfall events opportunities for local fauna.
for natural life, but also fails
Perspective St Anthony with central reservation
TOPOS / 02 / 2010 45