3DCity-Works

=20 January 2009

City-Works=20 Newsletter

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3D"City-Works
City-Works=20 relies on donations to operate. If you appreciate receiving = these=20 notices and the work we do in New Orleans,=20
Please = Donate to=20 City-Works=20

In=20 This Issue

Work=20 in Gentilly

Lights=20 on Main

Recovery=20 Snapshots=20

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City-Works

Visit=20 Us!

Neighborhood=20 Profile=20 = Map

American=20 Institute of Architects in Gentilly
AIA=20 SDAT with City-Works

3D"Gentilly

As=20 we noted last month, the American Institute of Architects=20 Sustainable Design Assessment Team came to review the = challenges in=20 rebuilding the community, economy and built environment of = Gentilly=20 in December.

What they found was a challenging = working=20 environment, with lots of good people working on good = projects, but=20 without the synergies to affect large scale change. =

This=20 assessment dictated their response to provide the community = with a=20 project that would be immediately actionable and could be = done by=20 the local community. There will be no silver bullet to solve = the=20 issues of recovery in Gentilly. The team believes the=20 investment in the community will have to come from the = community=20 itself.

We have placed the initial findings of the = AIA team=20 on our website. Please take time to look through them to = digest the=20 challenges and suggestions for action the AIA team has = proposed.=20 Their initial recommendations provide the community with an = outline=20 of how to find an achievable, community owned project that = builds=20 the synergies of Gentilly, focusing the community on a = common goal=20 that all neighborhoods can use to build synergy necessary = for=20 successful rebuilding.

To see the report, click HERE.=20

Hello=20 Everyone!

We=20 continue to work on rebuilding our city's community, = economy=20 and built environment. Our work with the American = Institute of=20 Architects in Gentilly continues - we have a copy of = their=20 initial report for you to see online.

Our = board=20 president Marshall Truehill, Jr. died unexpectedly = last month.=20 He was an inspiration to our organization and as he = was=20 recognized by the City Council earlier this month, he = was a=20 figure that pulled lots of components of this = community=20 together. For more on Marshall and the work we = continue to do=20 in his absence,

Read more below:=20 =

Dr.=20 Marshall Truehill, Jr.
City-Works=20 Board President and founder

I am sorry to pass = along=20 sad news. Our friend and champion Marshall Truehill, = Jr. died=20 on Christmas Day.

Marshall was known to = 3D"Marshall many=20 in New Orleans for his work in public policy, = religion, and=20 what Marshall himself described as Urban Evangelism. = He was=20 proudest of his work as an advocate for public housing = and its=20 reforms. Dr. Truehill was an enigmatic individual whom = moved=20 in many circles and everyone appreciated his boundless = energy.=20

Marshall was a founding board member of = City-Works and=20 served us as our board chairperson since 2007. He took = on all=20 the advocacy and education we developed at City-Works, = and he=20 believed in our mission to create a lasting and = healing change=20 for the city after Hurricane Katrina. His time spent = as a City=20 Planning Commissioner and his recent PhD in Urban = Studies from=20 the University of New Orleans testify to his drive, = his=20 determination, and his love for New Orleans and for = those who=20 make it a better place

Here are some of the = thoughts=20 of friends and family of City-Works about Marshall: =

-A=20 community leader, unselfish, contributed to improving = life in=20 the New Orleans area, believed in community, gave = voice to=20 those who have none, courageous, principled, humane = but clear=20 thinking. -Spoke with the facts, with common sense, = and an=20 abiding concern for humanity. -Thoughtful in his=20 deliberations, a bridge for the community, stood not = above the=20 community but with the community. -Exemplifies the = depth of=20 understanding and compassion coupled with an open mind = and an=20 ability to talk to a wide range of people. -A drum = major for=20 justice, an advocate for the poor and disenfranchised. =

Thank you for all the kind words our community = has=20 sent with their memories of what Marshall meant to us = all.=20 Clearly, there is a hole in our community that will be = very=20 difficult to fill.

Marshall exemplified a = generous=20 spirit, principled philosophy and pragmatic action. We = will=20 miss Marshall and his leadership and advocacy for a = better New=20 Orleans.

Recovery=20 Snapshots
Parkway=20 Partners - ReLeaf New Orleans
Event Wednesday, = January 28 -=20 Gentilly

Twenty trees were planted on St. = Andrew's=20 Street in Central City last week by local volunteers = and=20 NONDC. Parkway Partners provided the trees = through their=20 ReLeaf New Orleans initiative - a campaign to replace=20 Katrina-downed trees throughout the city with the = support of=20 citiz 3D"Parkway en=20 involvement. Seventy percent of the city's trees = were=20 lost due to the storm and subsequent = flooding.

Treme,=20 Milneburg, Marigny, Lakeview, the Lower 9th Ward and = other=20 neighborhoods are actively planting their streets with = over=20 500 Parkway Partners trees approved by the Department = of Parks=20 and Parkways. The restoration of our tree canopy = is one=20 of those snapshots of recovery that will take time to = fully=20 appreciate, but create a better life for all of us in = New=20 Orleans.

On Wednesday, January 28 you = can join=20 in on a tree planting effort in front of Holy Cross = High=20 School on Paris Avenue. 47 large trees will be = planted=20 on the Paris Avenue Neutral Ground through the ReLeaf = New=20 Orleans initiative. A 10 a.m. ceremony in = front=20 of the school will celebrate New Orleans as a Tree = City of the=20 National Arbor Day Foundation and will commemorate the = 100th=20 birthday of the New Orleans Department of Parks and=20 Parkways.

More than 5000 trees have been = planted=20 since the launch of the ReLeaf New Orleans = initiative. =20 Learn more about this and other Parkway Partner = programs,=20 including their caterpillar program online HERE.=20 =

City-Works=20 is a 501(c)3 organization dedicated to the long-term=20 sustainable rebuilding of New Orleans' community, = economy, and=20 built environment. For more information about our = organization=20 please visit us on the web:

City-Works

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