(TAMPA, Fla. - August 9, 2006) - A team of HDR-led planning and redevelopment experts has been selected by the New Orleans Community Support Foundation to facilitate neighborhood-based planning efforts as part of the Unified New Orleans Plan. Fifteen teams were selected from 65 applications, and New Orleans residents have participated in the team selection process for specific neighborhoods.
HDR's related experience includes developing renewal plans for Gulfport and Moss Point, Miss., as part of the Mississippi Renewal Forum. The Gulfport charrette helped produce a New Urbanist SmartCode, making the city one of the first in the nation to consider this customized form-based coding instead of conventional use-based zoning.
HDR will direct its planning work out of its Tampa, Fla., and New Orleans offices, with most of the work taking place in New Orleans. HDR has teamed with HOK Planning Group to provide these services. Other New Orleans-based partners include Mathes Brierre Architects, communications consultants Jeanne P. Nathan of Creative Industry, Inc and CBM Group, and urban designers Wisznia Associates and Robin Riley.
HDR has been part of the New Orleans business landscape for more than 20 years, with offices in New Orleans and Baton Rouge. Area clients include the New Orleans Sewerage and Water Board, New Orleans District of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, New Orleans Regional Planning Commission, Louisiana Department of Natural Resources and Louisiana Department of Transportation.
HDR is an employee-owned architectural, engineering, planning and consulting firm that excels at complex projects and solving challenges for clients. More than 5,200 professionals, including architects, engineers, consultants, scientists, planners and construction managers, in 130 locations worldwide, pool their strengths to provide solutions beyond the scope of traditional A/E/C firms. HDR is No. 17 overall on the Engineering News-Record "Top 500 Design Firms" rankings for 2006.
Editor's note: Information on the Unified New Orleans Plan is available at http://www.unifiedneworleansplan.com