Architect, Landscape Architect, Urban Designer, Land Use Planner, Environmental Observer

Saturday, August 15, 2009

The Esplanade / Las Ramblas ....

A tale of two boulevards....


The Esplanade is a street in New Orleans. It's one of those lovely boulevards that has a wide right-of-way and a wide central median. The street tree is the same as used in the entry drives to some of the great plantations.. Southern Oak (Quercus virginiana) -




The other great thing about The Esplanade is it's location. It runs from the River, alongside the edge of the French Quarter and pretty close to the Fairgrounds, where the New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival is held every year.




____
The other grand boulevard I remember walking down the middle of is Las Ramblas in Barcelona, Spain. It also goes from the water, perpendicular into the heart of town. But what a street !!




Notice some of the things that make Las Ramblas great.... wide walking area, little shops (flowers, news, etc.) and the row of trees. Granted there is plenty of life in the shops on the street.



Couldn't the same thing occur on the Esplanade? Wouldn't it be easy to start with maybe one block by the French Quarter?


There are some great pre-fabricated street accessories which would help...
















public toilets (as used in San Francisco)



















Kiosks for people to set up shop selling tourist items, or better yet Nawlin's cooking !!













Solar powered bus shelter

https://nola.curbed.com/2018/5/23/17312928/esplanade-avenue-new-orleans-history?fbclid=IwAR22oI-6ZSNXPBD-7RgQkEHRU2XuZ93QiYvjvXzjTKmpJZxlhBDkF4GU2xY


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