by Tallulah Chavira
In the mid-1800s, many free people of color began living in the Seventh Ward, establishing a long history of Black life in this neighborhood. From the mid-19th century, family-owned businesses flourished in this neighborhood accompanying Claiborne Avenue’s vibrant black residential and business life. The dismantling of this success began with the construction of the I-10 interstate in 1966. The oak tree-lined street was torn up along with the destruction of 500 homes and a decline in business, forever changing the landscape of the Seventh Ward. Hurricane Katrina only added to the loss in prosperity. Of course, the neighborhood still hosts successful New Orleans institutions such as St. Augustine High School and the Autocrat; however, it has never returned to what it once was.
These historical events are precursors to what we now find in the Seventh Ward: urban blight. Urban blight can be characterized by “the deterioration of real property conditions, which negatively affect surrounding areas and communities. Our study tracks instances of urban blight within a 0.66mi2 area of the Seventh Ward. We note instances of vacant lots, abandoned houses/buildings, blighted/overgrown plants, illegal dumping, absent street signs, and deteriorating sidewalks. Click here to read the full report, take a look at what we found, and what this means for residents.
