Planning and Zoning

From Answers to Action: Post-Election Policy Making

OVERVIEW This report is the latest installment in BGR’s Candidate Q&A Election Series. The new report consolidates and reissues the responses of the newly elected City of New Orleans mayor and councilmembers who completed BGR’s surveys last fall on...

2017 Candidate Q&A Election Series: New Orleans

Overview For the October 14, 2017 primary elections in New Orleans, BGR provided voters with its 2017 Candidate Q&A Election Series. BGR submitted questions to all mayoral and City Council candidates on public safety, infrastructure and other important public policy...

It’s the Law: Land Use Decision Making and the Master Plan

Overview In It’s the Law: Land Use Decision Making and the Master Plan, BGR provides clarity to recent public planning dialogue in New Orleans over the extent to which the Master Plan has the force of law.

Orleans Schools Tax and Jefferson Charter Changes

Overview BGR reviews a proposed property tax for the upkeep of public school facilities in New Orleans and 11 propositions to amend the Jefferson Parish charter that voters will decide on December 6, 2014. The charter propositions relate to:...

A Trojan Horse in City of New Orleans’ Draft CZO

Overview In A Trojan Horse in the Draft CZO: Article 5 Puts Years of Planning at Risk, BGR describes the article on New Orleans’ Planned Development Standards in the draft comprehensive zoning ordinance and the problems it poses.

An Achilles’ Heel in New Orleans’ Draft CZO?

Overview In this letter to the New Orleans City Planning Commission, BGR focuses on Article 5 of the draft comprehensive zoning ordinance, which would allow a wide array of exceptions to the zoning rules under vague circumstances in various...

Comment Letter on Neighborhood Participation Proposal

In a letter to the New Orleans City Planning Commission, BGR examines its draft Neighborhood Participation Program for Land Use Actions. The letter calls for changes to enhance the integrity of the process.

Clarifying the Draft Comprehensive Zoning Ordinance

Overview In this letter to the New Orleans City Planning Commission, BGR suggests ways to make New Orleans’ draft comprehensive zoning ordinance easier for the public to use and understand. BGR enclosed with the letter a copy of a...

A Need for Clarity: The Revised Master Plan

Overview In A Need for Clarity: The Revised New Orleans 2030 Draft Plan, BGR continues its work to improve the draft master plan. While the report recognizes limited improvements from the previous draft, it finds that the revised draft...

Neighborhood Participation and the Master Plan

Overview In this report, BGR examines the draft master plan’s proposal for citizen participation, a key element of the planning process in New Orleans.