A Tale of Two Silos: Collaborative School Facility Planning in Post-Katrina New Orleans

• Main Author: Mikulak, Lauren
• Format: Others
• Published: ScholarWorks@UNO 2010
• Subjects: urban planning; school facilities; comprehensive plan; master plan; collaboration; collaborative school planning; growth
• Online Access: http://scholarworks.uno.edu/td/1227; http://scholarworks.uno.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=2210&context=td

Cities and schools are traditionally planned in separate silos by local governments and school boards. Collaborative school facility planning (CSP) unites these two silos and integrates decision-making by city and school entities. This research addresses the relationship between urban planning and school facility planning in New Orleans, Louisiana, where CSP is particularly important in light of rebuilding efforts since Hurricane Katrina. The researcher examines the extent, challenges, and opportunities for CSP in New Orleans. Based on interviews and recent planning texts, little collaboration existed in the past; but the decommissioning of 52 New Orleans public school facilities presents an unmistakable opportunity for improved CSP in the near future. The broader implications of this thesis suggest that an alternative model for CSP is needed for low-growth, urban communities whose primary concern is not new school construction but old facility closure and reuse.