“It’s standard operating procedure in politics these days to deride bold policy reform as “pie-in-the-sky,” or a “pipe-dream.” This requires a willful ignorance of the fact that visionary policy, driven and shaped by grassroot movements, has always been the engine that moves our democracy forward.”
Tag: New Orleans City Council
Posted inGovernment & Politics, Squandered Heritage
City Council chamber finally gets Wi-Fi network
Back in November 2005, while most of us were still wringing out our houses and trying to figure out how to piece our lives back together, Mayor Ray Nagin announced a plan for free Wi-Fi – citywide! But even before Nagin’s tech guru, Greg Meffert, was convicted of corruption, reality had fallen well short of […]
Posted inOpinion
What's with City Hall's ongoing campaign to kill District Councils?
The New Orleans City Council will soon vote on the future of citizen participation in our city. It’s an ideal mandated by both a post-Katrina amendment to the City Charter and the city’s long-overdue master plan. But despite overwhelming popular support, it appears to be in grave peril.
Posted inOpinion
Making 'Complete Streets' a policy makes complete sense
Dedicated bus and bicycle lanes are among ideas central to the “complete streets” approach to multimodal transportation systems. Photo credit: Flickr/Eurist e.V. By Matthew Rufo, The Lens contributing opinion writer | In recent years, New Orleanians have witnessed a transformation of their streets from motor vehicle speedways to multimodal havens for a variety of users. […]
Posted inGovernment & Politics
Council cuts meeting short and flocks to Hannan's funeral; next time pack a sandwich!
By Karen Gadbois, The Lens staff writer | If Thursday was the day you chose to see democracy in action at City Hall you picked the wrong day. The majority of the City Council agenda was deferred or withdrawn so members could attend the funeral of Archbishop Philip Hannan. A meeting that usually lasts all […]
Posted inGovernment & Politics, Land Use
Demolition of St. Charles Avenue landmark denied — for now; Council appeal likely
The campaign to demolish the St. Charles Avenue triplex is not over. Photo by Karen Gadbois. By Karen Gadbois, The Lens staff writer | Well-heeled Uptowners turned out for Monday’s meeting of the Neighborhood Conservation District Committee, to speak both for and against a plan by liquor tycoon Jeffery Goldring to demolish a 1928 Emile […]
Posted inGovernment & Politics, Land Use
Flap over Magazine Street Pilates center prompts city to shape up notification rules
By Karen Gadbois, The Lens staff writer | Once it opens, the new Romney Pilate Center on upper Magazine Street promises to help the workout crowd shape up. But because of neighborly unhappiness over the way the building itself bulked up after original designs were approved, the development has already begun reshaping the way the […]
Posted inOpinion
Pedicab success pivots on City Council opting for merit selection
By Alan Williams, The Lens contributing opinion writer | Finally, New Orleans has joined the ranks of cities that permit pedal-powered cabs to carry residents and visitors around town. Soon, New Orleanians and tourists alike will be able to cruise Magazine Street, roll to the Superdome for a Saints game, or get from a downtown […]
Posted inOpinion
New public comment rules inspire confusion as well as criticism
“Read the directions and directly you will be directed in the right direction.” — Alice in Wonderland By Karen Gadbois, The Lens staff writer | See related video at end of story. Broadcasts of City Council proceedings cut cleanly from the dais to the speakers microphone — omitting the confusion […]