Policy Solution: New Orleans Comprehensive Zoning Ordinance

Urbanization is one of the main factors responsible for the heat island effect, a phenomenon that has had lasting negative effects on the environment and public health. As populations grow and urban environments continue to expand, it is more important than ever to find strategies to mitigate the impacts associated with increasing heat. Since the problem greatly impacts metropolitan areas, there is also a responsibility on the part of cities to develop policies that would directly address the problem in a way that follows the definition of sustainability discussed on the “problem identification” page. In the United States, the federal government provides recommendations for mitigation, however, they do not enforce specific policies and instead give cities the opportunity to enforce their own policies. In this essay, New Orleans, Louisiana will be analyzed in relation to the Urban Heat Island (UHI) policies that are set in place under the “New Orleans Comprehensive Zoning Ordinance” and the updated business model from the Finance Authority.

New Orleans is an interesting choice to analyze because they have directly incorporated their urban heat island mitigation strategies policies into their city’s zoning code which is the ordinance that showcases regulations for current and future development.¹ In addition, the location of New Orleans is in the southern part of the United States therefore it has a higher UV index and can be seen as an area that could potentially face drastic impacts on behalf of heat, therefore mitigation is necessary. The ordinance is quite literally the main policy or law that must be followed and their different articles through the policy explain their efforts that are made directly toward UHI mitigation.

Looking at Article 23.10,² New Orleans requires that in all development sites, there must be the protection of private trees and the promotion of urban forestry. It also discusses the specific reduction of the urban heat island effect by reducing the consumption of energy through proper tree placement and incorporating tree canopies into the city. This section focuses on the ways in which increased vegetation can be a mitigation strategy for the urban heat island effect, especially since a lack of vegetation is one of the main causes of the phenomenon. 

Another section of the ordinance, article 5.5B,³ describes the need to preserve the natural environment in dense residential areas. Similar to the previous section, this section protects trees and natural green spaces, but instead of through a landscape and screening method, it is incorporated into the design standards for prior development plans. Projects must be low impact and use conservation instruments whenever critical environmental areas may be impacted by homes and roadways development. 

In addition to the ordinance regulations, the Finance Authority of New Orleans shifted its efforts in 2019 to address climate change, specifically by only providing loans to properties that will participate in green infrastructure projects, energy efficiency, and community resilience. Examples of green infrastructure include but are not limited to increased reflective surfaces, increased vegetated surfaces, and energy-efficient cooling systems. By providing loans to these individuals under these conditions, the city will be able to develop in a more sustainable way that does not sacrifice the ability of future generations to have the same opportunities.⁴ 

The policy presented is beneficial in its attempt to regulate the future development of commercial and residential buildings and spaces, however, it does not encompass all of the issues related to urban heat islands. For example, there is a lot of promotion around protecting green spaces, but the policy does not make any mandatory requirements for green infrastructure. It gives individuals looking for loans an opportunity to secure one by participating in an environmental activity, but for those who have the money, there is no incentive to act in an environmentally friendly way. In addition, green infrastructure is provided in the form of loans, but as cost is a barrier to sustainability, the policy fails to provide individuals with cash or tax incentives to participate in programs that will mitigate the urban heat island effect. In that respect, low-income community stakeholders are often forgotten about in this scenario but are also the ones disproportionately affected by heat as they live in cities due to the low cost of living. Despite the limitations that exist, benefits exist in the policy and should be acknowledged as being necessary for any policy that would aim to mitigate the urban heat island effect. The policy itself is not comprehensive in all areas, but it can be combined with other policies to create a greater and more successful outcome. 

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Endnotes

1.  https://database.aceee.org/city/mitigation-urban-heat-islands

2.  https://czo.nola.gov/article-23/#23-10

3.  https://czo.nola.gov/article-5/#5-5-B

4.  https://financenola.org/news/fano-changes-its-business-model-to-address-climate-change/