Sitting on the edge of the Mississippi Delta, and 6 feet below sea level, the City of New Orleans faces significant flooding issues on a regular basis. Long committed to green stormwater infrastructure (GSI), in 2019, the City applied to WaterNow’s Accelerator to help create a road map for crafting a green streets ordinance. The goal was a systematic approach for incorporating GSI into all street construction and redevelopment projects, and prioritizing nature-based systems in the City’s efforts to address flooding challenges.

NOLA had adopted a number of ordinances and policies encouraging use of GSI, but not a comprehensive vision for accomplishing its aims. WaterNow conducted a soup to nuts review of the City’s codes, identified successful green streets approaches used around the nation, and held stakeholder meetings ensure local views were front and center. This project put New Orleans on the path to creating a cutting edge green streets program.