Quote:
Originally Posted by polemic
What if instead of an extension of Bayou St. John it was converted into (this country's only) urban kayaking course. It could pump water out of the Mississippi and empty into Bayou St. John on the opposite side. Artificial boulders and rapids could be added in. A horizontal elevator could then bring rider and kayak back to the top of the course on the other side. I'm not quite sure how you would get enough elevation on the course to make it into white water, but maybe it's possible? New Orleans seems to have perfect year-round kayaking weather and plenty of water to go around. In event of a storm, the course could be used to channel water out of mid-city (though admittedly, it would probably overload the Bayou). Plus, NOLA would have a unique tourist attraction that would target a growing group of tourists that currently would bypass the city (action sporting enthusiasts).
Ok, so honestly this idea is a bit nuts, but my problem with the Lafite Greenway is just that it might not be unique enough. I definitely don't think it's unique enough to attract large numbers of tourists. It's just too hot and stick in New Orleans for most of them to motivate them to take a long walk outside that doesn't involve a booze run. So the question is: will locals use it? And I think the answer is that there won't be enough usage to make most people feel safe, and once people don't feel safe on the greenway, it's unlikely to be a huge success. Obviously, I shouldn't be negative: a underused greenway is better than no greenway at all. But that's my two cents.
|
The Greenway is narrow enough that you're never really surrounded by parkland; you always have the city on two sides. So I don't think safety is an issue, like it is in City Park where nobody can hear you scream.
As for attracting locals... I think that gets at a broader question about how the city should develop. I think it's foolish to keep relying on tourism to save the entire city. If you spread the tourism peanut butter too thin, then the city will lose its critical mass and cease to be a popular tourist destination. The city should confine touristy things to the Quarter/CBD/Warehouse District.
In the rest of the city, investments should be made with the end goal of attracting new residents and keeping old ones. That means investments in schools, parks, libraries, and other quality-of-life things... and the city also needs to work with the private sector to bring in the needed retail, not in 2-3 huge strip centers, but at the neighborhood scale. Let's get some Wal-Mart Expresses to open up and help revitalize the old neighborhood commercial districts along St. Claude, Broad/Washington, Canal/Broad, Felicity, OC Haley, etc. Improving the quality and design of roads is very important as well... and once you're doing this, things like bike paths and bus lanes are just a few cans of paint.
A whitewater course is a foolish megaproject that will saddle the city with one more white elephant. Imagine a weed-choked concrete flume cutting through Mid-City... it would look like South LA or something.
I don't entirely disagree with the notion of regional amenities being built
along the Greenway, but definitely not taking up the whole thing. For example... if the park incorporated an interpretive center that explained the unique condition of the city, in environmental and historical terms. Sorta
like this. Or
this. Both are small museums integrated into a bigger landscape. That Learning Village posted a few pages ago was a good example of what this might look like in New Orleans.
Prev
.jpg)
Linear Mode
