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CLIMATE-SMART CITIES:
NEW ORLEANS
CIVIC TECHNOLOGY

YEAR
CLIENT
ROLE
TEAM
2016 - 2019
City of New Orleans;
Funded by:
US Dept. of Housing and Urban Development;
Kresge Foundation;
Surdna Foundation
Project lead
Research & strategy
Project management
The Trust for Public Land
ISeeChange
Photo: ISeeChange
Located at the confluence of the Mississippi River and the Gulf of Mexico, residents in this delta city know that living in New Orleans is living with water. Streets and neighborhoods flood during regular rain events, and climate change will only exacerbate this challenge.
The problem is hyper-local and typical data sets only tell part of the story.
How can we bring state-of-the-science big data and modeling together with social and demographic information at the scale of action: the neighborhood block?

The Climate-Smart Cities open access digital tool integrates key environmental and social data at the site.



The tool incorporates crowd-sourced data for real-time readings and lived experience in partnership with ISeeChange.

Photo: Colleen McHugh
Client (New Orleans City Official) uses the Climate-Smart Cities tool to explore neighborhood challenges with residents.
SOCIALIZING THE WORK &
CREATING EXPERIENCES

Photo: ISeeChange
Resident Constanza Porsche shares her story of living with water on the stage at our Bring Your Own storytelling event - Pipe Dreams: our flooding visions and nightmares. Listen for yourself here.

Photo: Jonathan Bachman
The audience listens on.

Photo: ISeeChange
A guest listens in the oral storytelling library.
POP-UP EVENTS THROUGHOUT THE CITY

Photo: ISeeChange
Pop-up exhibit of flood challenges.

Photo: ISeeChange
Pop-up exhibit of flood challenges.

Photo: ISeeChange
Capturing resident input in everyday places.
PRESS
Land + People, 2018
Taking on water
WWNO (radio), 2018
Bring Your Own Presents: ‘No Baggage, Please’
Government Technology, 2018
How New Orleans is Using Maps to Plan for Climate Change
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