Overview of Urban Water @ 10
July-November 2023
Ten years following the public release of the Greater New Orleans Urban Water Plan and the launch of the Urban Water Series, Greater New Orleans, Inc., Greater New Orleans Foundation, and the Tulane ByWater Institute organized Urban Water @ 10 to activate regional stakeholders and develop recommendations to inform and advance the next decade of Urban Water Plan implementation. Over the past six months, the three administering organizations partnered with the City of New Orleans Office of Resilience and Sustainability, Waggonner & Ball Architects, LUMCON, and the University of New Orleans Center for Hazards Assessment, Response & Technology (UNO-CHART) to execute the program with financial support from the National Science Foundation’s Sustainable Regional Systems Research Network program and the Greater New Orleans Foundation Environmental Fund. Urban Water @ 10 has engaged over 150 businesses, nonprofit and community-based organizations, government officials, and research institutions throughout the program.
Kickoff
Participants gathered at the Tulane River and Coastal Center to kickoff Urban Water @ 10. Activities during the commencement featured interactive elements to capture attendees’ memories and accomplishments from the last 10 years of building the movement to live better with water; these activities provided a foundation for gathering input, information, and recommendations that would carry throughout.
July
Roundtable Discussions
Roundtables were designed to offer an opportunity for in-depth, small group reflection where participants provided input on past successes, challenges, and recommendations for action. The five roundtables were organized by sector: Construction & Maintenance, Design & Engineering, Public Institutions, Science & Monitoring, and NGO & Workforce.
August-September
Summit
Ten small-group sessions organized by topic, rather than sector. Participants co-developed solutions to prevalent topics and provided direct input on the final deliverables of the Urban Water @ 10 program. To prepare for the Summit, the administrating organizations parsed through input from roundtables and identified ten thematic areas for further exploration. During the Summit, participants shared stories, insights, and potential opportunities for overcoming challenges and unlocking the next decade of progress on urban water programs in the region.
October
Finale
The Finale event celebrated the tenth anniversary of the release of the Greater New Orleans Urban Water Plan in 2013 and the formal conclusion of Urban Water @ 10. This event included the public release of the ten priority actions developed through the Kickoff, Roundtables and Summit.
November