Citywide Park and Recreation Master Plan Workshop – March 8, 2023

March 8, 2023, 6pm – 7:30pm, Morris F.X. Jeff Recreation Center, 2529 Gen. Meyer Ave.

Survey at https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/NOLA

The Big Green Easy is a citywide park and recreation vision plan for all of New Orleans. It has two driving principles:

  • Equity—a commitment to a just, fair, and inclusive park and recreation system that is tailored to meet the unique needs of New Orleans’ communities, particularly those that are currently underserved.
  • Resilience—harnessing the potential of the citywide park system to absorb stormwater, protect critical wildlife habitat, and support the city’s social fabric and cultural lifeways.

The master plan process will be led by the Office of Youth and Families and the New Orleans Recreation Development Commission (NORDC) in partnership with the Park Partners – Parks and Parkways, City Park, and Audubon Nature Institute. The plan will also engage various city departments including the Office of Resilience, the Office Neighborhood Engagement and the City Planning Commission.

Community engagement is a core priority of the plan and there will be many opportunities for residents to get involved and share feedback. 

Community Engagment Opportunities

Check out the information below to get involved and share your feedback with us.

Park and Recreation Survey

We want to hear from you! The planning team is starting a five-month conversation with you, staff, partners, stakeholders and other local experts to make this the best plan it can be. To start, we want to better understand:

  • Who the park and recreation system is (or is not) serving,
  • What your needs and challenges are, and
  • Any park and greenway opportunities you see that we should explore.

To accomplish this goal, we developed a 10-minute survey to share your input with us. 

Click here to complete the survey.

Park Ambassadors

Do you love New Orleans’ parks? Do you want to make our parks and recreation facilities better for current and future generations?

Join the Big Green Easy planning team as a Park Ambassador!

As paid members of the planning team for the citywide parks and recreation vision plan, Park Ambassadors will:

  • Help the planning team develop outreach and engagement strategies that are tailored to their communities, to increase awareness and plan participation.
  • Organize and lead community-based events—such as pop-up workshops, bus stop surveys or ‘meetings in a box’—that make it easier for more people to participate in the planning process.
  • Organize feedback results and report back to the rest of the planning team in a format that allows those results to be weighed alongside others from citywide public workshops and online surveys.

Park Ambassadors will receive training and materials to support their work. Each Ambassador will earn a stipend of $2,400 for their time and expertise. We anticipate each Park Ambassador will contribute up to 80 hours over the course of the plan engagement process from March to May 2023.

Click here to apply to be a Park Ambassador. 

More information at
https://nola.gov/office-of-youth-and-families/citywide-park-and-recreation-master-plan/

Algiers Clean Sweep – Saturday, April 1, 2023

Kickoff Ceremony at 8:30 a.m. Click here for general registration.

Join us on Saturday, April 1, 2023 for Algiers Clean Sweep hosted by the Algiers Economic Development Foundation. Algiers Clean Sweep is a community-wide day of service. Volunteers are needed for the following clean up efforts: 

Volunteer Registration Table:

Help welcome volunteers, collect liability forms, replenish refreshments, answer questions, and coordinate volunteers throughout the day from the Algiers Clean Sweep Staging Area at Brechtel Park.

Clean Sweep Headquarters:

Volunteers are needed to help direct traffic to the appropriate areas for disposal and answer questions throughout the day.

Neighborhood Clean Up: 

Each unique community in Algiers is encouraged to gather volunteers to clean up trash in their neighborhoods.

Who can sign up? All volunteers, whether you live, work, or play in Algiers or are just visiting for the day. 

Neighborhood Teams: 

Help us tackle litter in Walnut Bend! Click here to register for the Walnut Bend Team. We will meet at the Clean Sweep Staging Area at Brechtel Park (4401 Lennox Blvd. New Orleans, LA 70131)  for trash bags, gloves, and refreshments during the kickoff ceremony at 8:30 a.m. and for additional supplies throughout the day.

Individual Volunteers: 

Need to join a team? Sign up as an individual and we’ll be happy to find you a way to serve Algiers! Please report day-of to the volunteer registration table. 

Corporate Volunteers: 

Get out of the office and get to work! Corporate teams may sign up as a group and will be assigned to a location. Corporate teams can meet at the Algiers Clean Sweep Staging Area (Brechtel Park) for trash bags, gloves, and refreshments during the kickoff ceremony at 8:30 a.m. and for additional supplies throughout the day.

Can’t volunteer that day, but need to drop off old tires, glass, paper for shredding, trash, or other debris?
No problem! Bring the items to Brechtel Park between the hours of 9:00AM and 12:00PM.

City of New Orleans Announces NOPD’s Participation in ‘Neighbors by RING’ Program


City of New Orleans Logo
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE 
Jan. 26, 2023 
For Media Inquiries Only
communications@nola.gov, (504) 658-4945

City of New Orleans Announces NOPD’s Participation in ‘Neighbors by RING’ Program
NEW ORLEANS — The City of New Orleans today announced that at the recommendation of the Violent Crime Reduction Taskforce, the New Orleans Police Department (NOPD) has officially registered as a law enforcement agency with “Neighbors by RING.”  

“This action taken by the Violent Crime Reduction Taskforce and the NOPD is just another step in the right direction as we continue to provide the necessary resources to fight violent crime in our city,” said Mayor LaToya Cantrell. “The ‘Neighbors by RING’ program is an opportunity to provide residents with a tool to assist in providing imperative information to solve incidents of crime. This is a safe, creative and free program that will be transformative in our City’s crime-solving efforts.”  

The “Neighbors by RING” program greatly increases the reach and availability of digital evidence that allows the community to engage with the police as they investigate crimes, provide general safety information and also request information after a specific incident.  This application can be used by all residents of New Orleans and not just those that use RING camera systems. If a resident has any digital evidence (doorbell camera, car camera and/or privately installed cameras), they can upload the information to “Neighbors by RING.” 

“Since being appointed as Interim Superintendent for the NOPD, it has been my daily mission to leverage more resources and programs to assist our efforts in reducing violent crime in our city,” said Chief Michelle Woodfork, Interim NOPD Superintendent. “By enlisting in this program, it will allow additional resources for residents but also the NOPD as we continue to make not only preventing violent crimes a priority but solving them when they do occur. The NOPD and the City of New Orleans are excited to join countless agencies across the country that have taken this innovative step.”   

“One of the major goals of the Violent Crime Reduction Taskforce is to evaluate available technology to aid the NOPD and city agencies in receiving and processing critical information and evidence. Today’s technological advances have proven how powerful both digital evidence and an engaged community can be. This is a huge win for the City of New Orleans, and we will continue our quest in connecting the dots, making strong and bold recommendations and leaving no stone unturned as we work to see results for our city,” said Orleans Parish Communications District Executive Director Tyrell Morris, who also serves as Chairman of the Violent Crime Reduction Taskforce. 

The Violent Crime Reduction Task Force remains laser focused on the prevention of violent crime as they continue to support NOPD and other law enforcement partners to remove the most violent offenders from our streets and ensure those impacted have the supportive services they need. In addition to implementing the “Neighbors by RING” program, the task force is also in the process of developing a public safety strategy surrounding schools from a public health perspective, in partnership with the New Orleans Health Department and New Orleans Public Schools. # # #