RESEARCH: Canal Street Improvements

Project Name:
Canal Street Revitalization

Company Name:
Torre Design Consortium Ltd.

Project Location:
New Orleans, Louisiana

Project Purpose:
These improvements contained within this master plan set a direction for a major renaissance of Canal Street, the “mainstreet” of New Orleans. Having suffered from a loss of substantial retail stores and businesses, the main street of the City had deteriorated substantially over the last two decades. This paralleled a major improvement project that was done in the late 1980s that was structurally failing, with stones popping up, street trees dying, and facades of historic buildings in serious deterioration. Through four years of intense public meetings and facilitation, a series of improvements was developed and a consensus-built process of implementation set in place. The improvements would include: planting a double row (four across) of Medjool palms on both sidewalks and median (where the U.S.’s oldest running streetcar still operates); widening granite and herringbone brick sidewalks; custom cast light fixtures; and, extensive landscape and irrigation. With equal importance is the façade and gallery restoration program now underway. As historic Canal Street was once nearly completely lined with beautiful galleries on elegant historic facades, this will again bring substantial weather protection and beauty to the New Orleans main street. Additional theatrical uplighting will bring out the beautiful detailing of the historic facades and, with uplighting on the Medjools, will create a total environment (tout ensemble) that will reestablish the mainstreet of New Orleans -- Canal Street -- as one of the most beautiful and important downtown corridors in the United States.

Role of the Landscape Architect:
The landscape architect was the prime consultant and led the team of architects, engineers, planners, and economists. The complex client (City of New Orleans, Downtown Development District, and Canal Street Development Corporation) had to be coordinated into one working group. Over 50 public meetings were held over the next two years, coupled with the same amount in business owners and stakeholder meetings. All were led by the landscape architect. In addition, all design of paving, details, landscape design, custom light fixture casting, theatrical uplighting of palms and facades, as well as the gallery rebuilding program were done by the landscape architect.

Significance:
The Canal Street Revitalization Master Plan is now underway, although it did suffer a 90-day hiatus due to Hurricanes Katrina and Rita. With New Orleans slowly coming back to life after what was the United States’ largest natural disaster, the Canal Street project was the first in the City to be restarted. It was the consensus-built elements of the plan, designed and championed by the landscape architect, that have created so much enthusiasm and hope for New Orleans’ Mainstreet. When completed, this tropical City will have one of the most beautiful and elegant downtown main streets in the United States, with its granite and brick sidewalks, colonnades of palms, rich and colorful plantings, custom cast light fixtures, and reinstitution of galleries on renovated historic facades, providing logical weather protection and urban elegance. It is the largest size project underway in New Orleans at this time, and led by a landscape architect.