Design Workshop's Austin Office Selected to Complete Revitalization Plan for Lafitte Corridor and Greenway

Greenway revitalization to turn 3.1-mile strip of New Orleans land into public park and transportation corridor for bicyclists and pedestrians

23 August 2010

Austin, TX – Design Workshop, an international landscape architecture, planning and strategic services firm, has been chosen to lead a planning and design team in transforming a former canal and railway corridor (known as the Lafitte Corridor) in New Orleans to a 3.1-mile linear park and greenway. The Lafitte Corridor and Greenway is a strip of land along the old Norfolk Southern Rail Line from Basin Street to Canal Boulevard next to St. Louis Avenue and runs from the French Quarter to Lakeview. For decades, this space has been thought of as a public linear park and many residents in the surrounding neighborhoods have supported the idea of its redevelopment.

Design Workshop's Austin office will plan, design and manage the construction of the greenway, which will include a bicycle and pedestrian path, open space, recreational areas and other amenities. In addition, the firm will develop a revitalization plan for the corridor's surrounding neighborhoods, located within a quarter-mile radius from the trail.

Design Workshop will work closely with New Orleans' city agencies, including the City Planning Commission, The Department of Public Works, and The Office of Community Development, to complete the project. The project was approved by New Orleans' Mayor, Mitch Landrieu, and was the first professional-services contract granted under the Landrieu administration's new selection process.

“We're thrilled to have been selected to lead the work on developing the Lafitte Corridor,” said Rebecca Leonard, partner with Design Workshop's Austin office. “It's an important project and we look forward to revitalizing this area by bringing new energy and excitement to it and making it the next great public space in New Orleans.”

About Design Workshop
Founded in 1969, Design Workshop is an international landscape architecture, land planning, urban design and strategic services firm with six offices in the U.S. and work spanning the globe. The firm has been recognized with over 150 prestigious awards for its work in new communities, urban centers, resorts, public parks, golf courses and residences. The firm's philosophy challenges the project team to equally integrate and balance artistic vision, environmental sensitivity, community values and sound economics to create unique places that stand the test of time. It refers to this approach as DW Legacy Design®.