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Archive for the ‘Education’ Category

We’ve all seen our share of urban plans since the levee failures. From the dubiously-titled “Bring New Orleans Back” committee report and the New Orleans neighborhood rebuilding plans to the United New Orleans Plan and the ongoing debate surrounding the city’s proposed master plan, thousands of locals have participated in the planning process for rebuilding New Orleans.

Still, how much do we really know about what goes into a master plan?

Starting on Friday afternoon and continuing through Saturday, Tulane University will host a conference, “New Orleans Under Reconstruction: The Crisis of Planning.” Organized by professors from Tulane’s School of Architecture, the conference is focused on the progress the city has made so far, overcoming obstacles that have slowed rebuilding and advancing future visions for New Orleans. The conference will also tackle a number of other issues connected to planning such as water management, housing equity, contemporary design and green building, cultural landscapes and citizen activism.

A number of prominent panelists — including David Dixon from the Goody Clancy architectural firm, which has been designing the New Orleans master plan and Ray Manning, a prominent local architect, who has also worked on the city plan — will be offering their expertise and insight into the difficult-but-critical process of rebuilding New Orleans in the present and the future.

The conference is free and open to the public. For more information, visit New Orleans Under Reconstruction.

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In this week’s Green Matters, I take a look at the New Orleans Solar School Initiative (click the link for the full story). This morning, Entergy Corporation, Nike and the initiative’s partners formally announced (and unveiled) the nearly $1.7 million effort that’s been in the making since 2007.

This morning, Warren Easton Senior High School principal Alexina Medley proudly claimed her school as having the largest social array in New Orleans, and potentially, the state. Medley and partners in the New Orleans Solar school Initiative, in front of cameras, press, and, most importantly, students, offered  a rundown of the program and plenty of formal thank yous and best-of-luck-to-yous.

But on the roof, where only a few days before installers with South Coast Solar were wrapping up the finishing touches, there’s something interesting. Still scribbled on tin roofing and cement are HELP and SOS messages — reminders of being trapped while the federal flood surrounded Mid-City. Now, riding shotgun with those messages, is a $500,000, 6,634-square-feet, 37,000 kilowatt-hours-producing solar panel installation, enough power for three houses. The system is capable of saving the school approximately $4,000 in utility costs, and could reduce emissions of up to 50,000 pounds of carbon a year.

The roof is entirely flat and whitewashed. By noon, it’s blinding. No wonder it’s a prime location. Rod West, president and CEO of Entergy New Orleans, says Warren Easton was the first draw for the initiative (three other schools are slated for similar systems — up next is Joseph A. Craig Elementary) for several reasons: the school’s history (96-years-old and still kickin’), central location and “where it was before and after the storm.” The “unprecendented opportunity” for greenovation, he says, is one from Entergy’s commitment to environmental responsibility and fiscal prudence.

At the unveiling, environmental sciences teacher Frank Coco lined up a group of students for a photo. Coco’s classes will get to use the software that reads in real-time the panel’s progress — charts, graphs, real-time statistics, all plainly laid out to see the system at work. “It’s an educational opportunity for real types of projects using alternative energies,” West says. The day was hailed as a great day for young people by coordinators, who see the project as a launchpad for green jobs and kickstarting a green economy as early as high school.

Then again, one needs only to peer over the side of the building and see an endless row of cars parked along Canal Street. New Orleans won the battle today, but its war on carbon is only beginning.

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