Environment Program Hosts Second Roundtable of Their 2025-2026 Series
Environment Program Roundtable: "After Katrina": Creating & Reclaiming Green Space
On November 13th at 12:30 pm in Monroe Hall 152, Loyola's Environment Program hosted their second Roundtable of their 2025-2026 series featuring Jennifer Van Vrancken, Jefferson Parish Councilwoman At-Large, Division A, and Jason Neville, Executive Director of Lafitte Greenway Partnership.
After Hurricane Katrina, the government spent billions to repair the immense damage to the levee system, but with those repairs, the charm of the lakefront was lost. From the moment she took office, Vrancken has been dedicated to bringing her community back to the underutilized lakefront between Bucktown Harbor and Bonnabel Harbor. In collaboration with local agencies, Vrancken developed the living shore concept, pairing marsh restoration with family-friendly attractions, like playgrounds and boardwalks. Learn more here.
The Lafitte Greenway Partnership is a community-driven and non-profit organization, founded in 2006 as a response to the devastation caused by Hurricane Katrina. Community members saw the vacant land as an opportunity to create public spaces. After years of public support, the Lafitte Greenway, a 2.6-mile-long linear park connecting various New Orleans communities, was opened in 2015. The Lafitte Greenway Partnership is dedicated to making the Lafitte Greenway a safe, vibrant, and active park through collaboration with the city and local community. Learn more here.
