New Orleans, LA
Community leaders from Claiborne Avenue Alliance led a walking tour of the Claiborne corridor on September 15th for engineers, planners, architects, public officials and scientists—many of whom were attending the Walk Bike Places Transit Conference that week. The tour was co-organized with The Congress for New Urbanism to highlight the socio-economic and public health impacts of the I-10 corridor on residents living in nearby neighborhoods. Public Health students from Dr. Adrienne Katner’s team presented the results from their analyses of environmental impacts and the associated health complications. Student Erin LeCompte presented on her analysis of noise along the corridor, showing the group real-time noise data collected using an app installed on her smart phone. Caroline Stallard, a second-year medical student at LSU’s school for Public Health, presented findings from a literature review she conducted to provide a characterization of the environmental health concerns, including noise pollution, cancer rates, cardiovascular health, and benzene exposure. Claiborne Avenue Alliance community leader, Amy Stelly, led the group around the corridor highlighting the challenges that come with living alongside an urban highway. She pointed to concerns related to homelessness, drug use, noise from traffic, flooding, and access to green space. The group plans to bring a presentation to a community development meeting before the end of 2018.
Photos courtesy of Adrienne Katner
