New Orleans Master Plan & Neighborhood Organization

Market + Main and Maddox, Nix, Bowman & Zoeckler worked with Smart Growth for Louisiana to draft an amendment to the New Orleans City Charter that substantially revamps the way the city handles zoning and land use regulation. The amendment mandates the preparation of a 20-year master plan for the city and requires that all zoning maps, land-use decisions, public projects, and other government actions conform to the plan. The charter amendment also requires the city to establish a system for organized and effective neighborhood participation in land use decisions and other issues that affect quality of life, including participation in drafting of the master plan. The amendment attracted support from a broad spectrum of neighborhood, business, and government leaders.