New Orleans City Park and land-use attorney William Borah were honored Monday by the American Planning Association at its annual conference in the Ernest N. Morial Convention Center. City Park, which sustained more than $43 million in damage from Hurricane Katrina in 2005, received the association's National Planning Achievement Award for a Hard-Won Victory, which recognizes a planning effort...
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Visitors to City Park gather to help celebrate the official dedication of the Big Lake in October, commemorating the improvements that have been made over the last two years, including the 3/4 mile trail around the lake, over 250 new trees, a boating dock and meadow. New Orleans City Park and land-use attorney William Borah were honored Monday by the American Planning Association at its annual conference in the Ernest N. Morial Convention Center.
City Park, which sustained more than $43 million in damage from Hurricane Katrina in 2005, received the association's National Planning Achievement Award for a Hard-Won Victory, which recognizes a planning effort undertaken by a community, neighborhood, citizens group or political jurisdiction in the face of challenging or adverse conditions.
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William BorahAfter the storm, sections of the 1,300-acre park took on eight feet of water, wiping out more than 2,000 trees and damaging or destroying more than 120 buildings.
The park's recently adopted master plan, Vision for the 21st Century, became the organizing feature for recovery efforts. The restoration strategy focused on cleaning up debris, reopening revenue-generating facilities, pursuing an ambitious public and private fundraising effort and using the new master plan to organize the recovery.
Borah was given the National Planning Leadership Award for a Distinguished Contribution, which recognizes an APA member who has contributed to the organization's goals and objectives through an extraordinary effort over a short period of time.
For several years, Borah, a leader of the group Smart Growth for Louisiana, was at the forefront of the push to create a master plan with the force of law to guide New Orleans' development.
On Nov. 4, 2008, voters amended the City Charter to make the change.
