DOWNTOWN DISTRICT

DETAIL MAP
CA

E.
NA

AV
LS
T.

E
RN
IBO
A
CL

E.
S.

AV
LA
YO
LO
PO
YD
RA City Hall /
S ST. Duncan Plaza

Mississippi River
Lafayette
Pizza
GIRO Square
D’Italia
D ST.

E.

TCHOUPITOULAS ST.
ES AV
JULIA
ST.

E ST.
N.O.U.P.T. HARL
Plaza

AZIN

S. PETERS ST.
ST. C

EA
R HA
MAG
RT
BL
VD
.

N
0’ 500’ 1000’

TYPICAL CHARACTERISTICS KEY MAP

While this district is defined by its historic role as the primary Lake
Pontchartrain
financial and business sector of the city, its evolutions have taken
on many forms. Original streets are well preserved towards the
river, still wide enough only for one-way traffic, but are interrupted
by larger city blocks used by newer and larger institutions closer
to I-10. Canal Street remains the pre-eminent boulevard, largely
JEFFERSON

Lake
PARISH

retaining its original scale, while Poydras Street is a case study of Pontchartrain

the modern street widening an existing corridor to accommodate Lake

St. Catherine
more traffic serving larger buildings. Space is a premium, so the
street wall is well-defined with most buildings built to the front and
side property lines.
Lake
Borgne
Mi
ssi
Stark contrasts coexist intimately in this district, where low-scale ssi
pp ST. BERNARD
iR
masonry and timber townhouses and warehouses from the original ive
r
PARISH

American Sector will cede to the tall, sleek buildings of the modern
financial and sports districts. Many older buildings have been
converted to residential and business uses, while newer buildings
continue be multi-user occupied with commercial uses on the
JEFFERSON
ground floor. Most buildings have at least two floors and have PARISH PLAQUEMINES
prominently sited front entrances that are grandiose in scale. PARISH

DOWNTOWN DISTRICT - LOCATION MAP

10
DOWNTOWN DISTRICT
TYPICAL LAND USE CHARACTERISTICS RESIDENTIAL
Date of subdivision 1788
Average elevation above/below sea level 4’–20’ above (higher elevations at the riverfront)
Major land uses Residential developments are mostly condos or
high rises; vertically mixed
Block size Rectangular, 335’x530’, 120’x215’, 365’x500’
Lot size Not uniform, 75’x170’; 25’x105’
Type of open space Public squares, plaza and neutral grounds
Special designations National Register of Historic Places: Historic
Districts: Upper CBD, Lower CBD
Local Historic District: Warehouse District, Picayune
Place, Lafayette Square, Canal St.
Neighborhood Conservation District
Defining corridors St. Charles Ave., Magazine St., Camp St. and
Tchoupitoulas St.
Mix of uses Few residential developments, Vertically mixed
TYPICAL FIGURE GROUND MAP
DOWNTOWN DISTRICT - LAND USE CHARACTERISTICS
COMMERCIAL /INDUSTRIAL
1788
4’–20’ above (higher elevations at the riverfront)
Mostly commercial on ground floor, offices above
Rectangular, 215’x120’, 335’x530’, 370’x490’
Mostly rectangular, 110’x110’, 370’x360’, 190’x155’
Plaza and neutral grounds
National Register of Historic Places: Historic
Districts: Upper CBD, Lower CBD
Local Historic District: Warehouse District, Picayune
Place, Lafayette Square, Canal St.
Neighborhood Conservation District
Canal St., Poydras St., St. Charles Ave. and
Tchoupitoulas St.
Mostly commercial and office uses with a few
residential developments, Vertically mixed
N
0’ 100’ 200’
11
 DOWNTOWN DISTRICT
TYPICAL BUILDING CHARACTERISTICS
Architectural character/style
RESIDENTIAL COMMERCIAL /INDUSTRIAL
Symmetrical flat facades, large scale buildings, Symmetrical flat facades, large scale buildings,
small windows, flat roofs with parapets small windows, flat roofs with parapets, and
commercial storefronts

Building materials Concrete and steel construction, masonry Concrete and steel construction, masonry

Façade characteristics Brick and stucco Brick, stucco, steel and glass

Lot coverage ratio Building footprint consumes 60-100 percent of Building footprint consumes 60-100 percent of
the lot the lot

Density 2 du/ac High Density

Average height 3–10 stories 5–30 stories

Elevation above street Slab-on-grade, some raised 2’–4’ above grade Slab-on-grade, some raised 2’–4’above grade

Front setback 0’-9’ 0’–10’

Side setbacks 0’ 0’

Parking type Street parking, parking garages, and surface Street parking, parking garages, and surface
parking lots parking lots

TYPICAL HOUSING TYPE DESCRIPTIONS

0’ 75’ 150’
TYPICAL TOWNHOUSE
• Usually 3 stories; occasionally more
• Mostly on-street parking, some parking on ground floor
• Building flush with sidewalk; usually follows street wall
• Wood and masonry are the most common façade
material; often ornamented with ironwork
• Styles: American townhouses and commercial buildings
(Greek Revival and Italianate)

0’ 75’ 150’
TYPICAL WAREHOUSE LOFT CONVERSION
• 3 to 6 stories are common, many with penthouses
• Parking is mostly on-street, some buildings have private
parking within building or on adjacent surface lot
• Flush with sidewalk; almost always follows street wall
• Masonry façades, some with stucco treatment; most
with heavy timber structures, newer buildings use steel
• Federal style commercial/mixed use; Beaux-Arts
institutional buildings; Romanesque, Gothic Revival
(many 19th Century styles)

0’ 75’ 150’
TYPICAL MID-RISE AND HIGH-RISE
• 10 + stories are common, many with penthouses
• Parking is dedicated within building or on adjacent
surface lot
• Flush with sidewalk; almost always respects uniform
street wall, often sets back from street above 50 feet
• Masonry and glass façades, symmetrical
• Modern styles in new construction tend to refer to
older buildings for massing and fenestration patterns

DOWNTOWN DISTRICT - BUILDING CHARACTERISTICS

12
 DOWNTOWN DISTRICT
TYPICAL STREET CHARACTERISTICS RESIDENTIAL COMMERCIAL /INDUSTRIAL
Street grid Regular street grid interrupted by Interstate and Regular street grid interrupted by Interstate and
river’s bend, well-connected to city street grid river’s bend, well-connected to city street grid

Street hierarchy Local streets, collectors and arterials Smaller collectors and large arterials

Street width Boulevards: 90’, 128’, 110’ Boulevards: 125’

Interior Streets: 28’, 40’ Interior Streets: 40’

Street traffic Boulevards: one-way, two-way has neutral ground Pedestrian retail: one-way, two-way has neutral
Interior Streets: one-way ground
Commercial: one-way, two-way has neutral
ground

Corridor type examples Boulevards: Tulane Ave., Canal St., Poydras St., St. Pedestrian retail: St. Charles Ave., Canal St.
(Typicals measured for this study in bold) Charles Ave. Commercial: Poydras St., Tchoupitoulas St.
Interior Streets: Cleveland St., S. Peters, Camp St.

TYPICAL STREET SECTIONS

80’

60’

20’
S

0’

0’ 20’ 40’ 60’ 80’ 100’ 120’ 140’ 160’ 180’

TYPICAL RESIDENTIAL STREET SECTION - INTERIOR STREET

340’

300’

S
S

100’

40’
S

20’

0’

0’ 20’ 40’ 60’ 80’ 100’ 120’ 140’ 160’ 180’

TYPICAL COMMERCIAL STREET SECTION - COMMERCIAL STREET (SEE ALSO ORIGINAL CITY FOR PEDESTRIAN RETAIL)

DOWNTOWN DISTRICT - STREET CHARACTERISTICS

13
 TRADITIONAL WAREHOUSING
DETAIL MAP

POYDR
AS ST.
Lafayette
Square
GIROD
UPT ST.
Plaza
JULIA
ST.

Lee
Circle
CA
LLI
OP N. DIA
ES MOND
T. ST.

T.
ZINE S

S ST.
MAGA

ITOULA
ME
LPO
TCHOUP

ME
NE
ST.

SOUTH
COLISEUM SQ.
PARK
FE
LIC

PETERS
IT
Y

RACE S
ST

r
T.

ve
.

Ri
E.
ST.
JA

AV

pi
Annunciation
CK

ip
L E Park
SO

AR

iss
P ST.

CH T. JEFFERSON
N

iss
T. AS
AV

S NI M PARISH
CAM
E.

A
YT
PR

N
0’ 400’ 800’

TYPICAL CHARACTERISTICS KEY MAP

Capitalizing on the commercial activity around the port, this Lake
Pontchartrain
district was originally built to warehouse import and export
goods. Streets continue the rectilinear city grid and retain
street hierarchy. Streets were designed to be wide enough to
permit railcars from the port to park alongside warehouse docks
and allow traffic to pass. Setbacks are non-existent, creating a
JEFFERSON

Lake
PARISH

Pontchartrain
regular street wall with broad sidewalks, broken only by vacant Lake
lots which are now typically used for parking. St. Catherine

Residences are typically in existing warehouses converted to high

density condominiums. These are post-and-beam construction Lake
Borgne
with regularly fenestrated masonry facades and the occasional Mi
ssi
ssi
pp ST. BERNARD
larger secondary entrance for vehicular parking on-site. Newer iR
ive
r
PARISH
structures tend to emulate these existing warehouses in scale
and rhythm and materials. Commercial functions are well
integrated in the land use pattern, and are often on the first
floor of a residential building. Parking is almost exclusively on-
JEFFERSON
street and in parking structures within the shell of an existing PARISH
building, rarely on surface lots fronting a commercial building.

TRADITIONAL WAREHOUSING - LOCATION MAP

14
TRADITIONAL WAREHOUSING
TYPICAL LAND USE CHARACTERISTICS RESIDENTIAL COMMERCIAL / INDUSTRIAL
Date of subdivision 1788-1817 1788-1817

Average elevation above/below sea level 4’-20’ above 4’-20’ above

Major land uses Developments are mostly townhouses and Mixed use on major corridors, commercial on
condos, residential upper floors of converted smaller corridors, some industrial towards the
warehouses; singe family residential on interior riverfront
streets

Block size 285’x 260’ 285’x 260’

Lot size Not Uniform: 360’x360’ Not Uniform: 360’x360’

Type of open space Neutral grounds, public parks, occupiable roofs Neutral grounds, public parks, occupiable roofs

Special designations National Register of Historic Places: Historic
District: Lower CBD
Local Historic Districts: Lafayette Square,
Warehouse District
Neighborhood Conservation District
National Register of Historic Places: Historic
District: Lower CBD
Local Historic Districts: Lafayette Square,
Warehouse District
Neighborhood Conservation District

Defining corridors Poeyfarre St., Constance St., Magazine St. Magazine St., St. Charles Ave., Tchoupitoulas St.,
Julia St.

Mix of uses Residences are vertically mixed in condos or Commercial use on ground floor, office use on
townhouses upper floors, vertically mixed, port activity towards
river

TYPICAL FIGURE GROUND MAP

N
0’ 100’ 200’

TRADITIONAL WAREHOUSING - LAND USE CHARACTERISTICS

15
 TRADITIONAL WAREHOUSING
TYPICAL BUILDING CHARACTERISTICS
Architectural character/style
RESIDENTIAL COMMERCIAL / INDUSTRIAL
Symmetrical facades, large scale massing, flat Symmetrical facades with large punched windows
roofs and gables, frequently with penthouse and masonry, heavy timber, monolithic applied
addition panels

Building materials Wood, masonry, heavy timber, concrete Wood, masonry, heavy timber, concrete

Façade characteristics Flat masonry facades with ornamental Flat ornamented masonry facades; large entries,
patterns; large entries, sometimes recessed sometimes recessed

Lot coverage ratio 80-100 percent 80-100 percent

Density 6.7 du/ac 4.50-12.00 FAR

Average height 2- 8 stories 2- 8 stories

Elevation above street 6” 6”

Front setback 0’ 0’

Side setbacks 0’ 0’

Parking type On-street, off-street parking structure or On-street, off-street parking structure or surface
surface lot in building shell lot in building shell

TYPICAL HOUSING TYPE DESCRIPTIONS

0’ 75’ 150’
TYPICAL TOWNHOUSE HOUSING
• Typically 2 -3 stories
• Mixed use buildings with commercial on ground floor
• Front setback is 0-2 feet
• Condominiums typical on upper floors
• Masonry facades are common, some with stucco and
heavy timber wood frames
• Ornamental masonry is common, typically at parapet

0’ 75’ 150’
TYPICAL WAREHOUSE CONVERSION HOUSING
• Usually 1 - 5 stories
• Masonry construction
• Large punched windows
• Flat roofs with penthouses and occupiable roof terraces
• Front setback is 0 feet
• Parking for residences is off-street, enclosed in building
envelope or adjacent to surface lot

0’ 75’ 150’
TYPICAL CORNER TOWNHOUSE HOUSING
• 1-2 stories
• Masonry is common, often with stucco
• Details on facade, typically at parapet
• Regular fenestrations, often tall and narrow
• Front setback is 0 feet, often with clipped corner

TRADITIONAL WAREHOUSING - BUILDING CHARACTERISTICS

16
 TRADITIONAL WAREHOUSING
TYPICAL STREET CHARACTERISTICS RESIDENTIAL COMMERCIAL / INDUSTRIAL
Street grid Regular, rectilinear, well-connected Regular, rectilinear, well-connected

Street hierarchy Local streets, collectors and arterials Local streets, collectors and arterials

Street width Boulevards: 89’ Boulevards: 89’

Interior Streets: 27’ Interior Streets: 27’

Street traffic Boulevards: One and two-way, multi-lane Boulevards: One and two-way, multi-lane
Interior Streets: one way single and multi-lane Interior Streets: one way single and multi-lane

Corridor type examples Boulevards: Convention Center Blvd., Magazine St. Boulevards: Convention Center Blvd., Howard Ave.
(Typicals measured for this study in bold) Interior Streets: Poeyfarre St., Notre Dame St., St. Interior Streets: Julia St., Magazine St.,
Joseph St. Tchoupitoulas St.

TYPICAL STREET SECTIONS

40’

20’

0’

0’ 20’ 40’ 60’ 80’ 0’ 20’ 40’ 60’ 80’

10’ 25’ 10’
TYPICAL RESIDENTIAL STREET SECTION - INTERIOR STREET TYPICAL RESIDENTIAL STREET SECTION - BOULEVARD

60’

40’

20’

0’

0’ 20’ 40’ 60’ 80’ 100’ 120’ 140’ 160’ 180’

TYPICAL
TYPICAL COMMERCIAL STREET SECTION-BOULEVARD
COMMERCIAL

TRADITIONAL WAREHOUSING - STREET CHARACTERISTICS

17
 AMERICAN EXPANSION DISTRICT
DETAIL MAP
JULIA
ST.

Lee
Circle
CA
LLI
OP N. DIA
ES MOND
T. ST.

ME
LPO
ME
NE
ST.

SOUTH
COLISEUM SQ.
PARK
FE
LIC

P
ETERS S
IT
Y

RACE S
ST

T.
.

E.
JA

T.
AV Annunciation
CK

L ES Park
SO

AR
P ST.

CH ST.
N

ST.
AV

IA
CAM

N
E.

A
YT
PR

T.
ES
IN
G AZ
MA
T.
NS JEFFERSON
r

TIO
ve

PARISH
CIA T.
Ri

N
NU SS
pi

AN LA
ip

U
iss

TO
PI
iss

OU
M

TC
H N
0’ 400’ 800’

TYPICAL CHARACTERISTICS KEY MAP

This district is framed by a continuous rectangular city block Lake
Pontchartrain
pattern interspersed with triangular and trapezoidal blocks that
result from the collision of the extended original city street grid
with the newer street grids that turn along the river. Many of these
resultant irregularly shaped blocks are used as parks. Streets have
a clear hierarchy, and are typically well connected to the greater
JEFFERSON

Lake
PARISH

street grid. Consistent building setbacks with little to no side yard Pontchartrain

setbacks create a continuous street wall. Lake

St. Catherine

Buildings tend to run deep and often have multiple floors. High
density commercial streets have taller buildings with offices or
Lake
residential units over the commercial ground floor, an can be grand Mi
Borgne
ssi
EXPANSION or warehouse structures, or diminutive converted ssi
pp ST. BERNARD
iR PARISH
residences. Stores can be found on interior streets, designed with ive
r
residential scale and materials. Residences on commercial streets
are usually multi-family and can be grand, while residences on
interior streets can be either grand and highly detailed or modestly
sized and detailed. Galleries, porches, outdoor seating areas and
JEFFERSON
protruding entrances extend the influence of a building into the PARISH PLAQUEMINES
public realm of sidewalks and streets. PARISH

AMERICAN EXPANSION DISTRICT - LOCATION MAP

18
AMERICAN EXPANSION DISTRICT
TYPICAL LAND USE CHARACTERISTICS RESIDENTIAL COMMERCIAL / INDUSTRIAL
Date of subdivision 1817 1817

Average elevation above/below sea level 4’–20’ above 4’–20’ above

Major land uses Mostly residential with mixed use located on Mixed development found along major corridors
corners and larger corridors and on corner lots

Block size Rectangular: 285’x345’, 165’x240’, 140’x165’ Rectangular: 145’x195’, 265’x320’, 375’x555’

Lot size Not uniform: 20’x45’; 30’x100’ Not uniform: 25’x95’, 105’x120’, 320’x575’

Type of open space Pocket parks, finger parks, and neutral grounds Pocket parks, finger parks, and neutral grounds

Special designations National Register of Historic Places: Historic
Districts: Lower Garden District, Garden District,
Irish Channel, Central City
Local Historic Districts: Lower Garden District, Irish
Channel
Neighborhood Conservation District
National Register of Historic Places: Historic
Districts: Lower Garden District, Garden District,
Irish Channel, Central City
Local Historic Districts: Lower Garden District, Irish
Channel
Neighborhood Conservation District

Defining corridors Jackson Ave., Camp St., Laurel St., Coliseum St. St. Charles Ave., Magazine St., Tchoupitoulas St.,
Calliope St.

Mix of uses Some corner stores mixed into residential Commercial/mixed use properties located on
neighborhoods major streets, vertically mixed along corridors,
horizontally mixed residential areas

TYPICAL FIGURE GROUND MAP

N
0’ 100’ 200’

AMERICAN EXPANSION DISTRICT - LAND USE CHARACTERISTICS

19
 AMERICAN EXPANSION DISTRICT
TYPICAL BUILDING CHARACTERISTICS RESIDENTIAL COMMERCIAL / INDUSTRIAL
Architectural character/style Facade broken into symmetrical bays by Residential/commercial conversions look like
architectural features including windows with surrounding residential structures with modern
shutters, columns, and front porches. Roofs are storefronts. Commercial structures on major
pitched or gabled, some have dormers and side corridors are larger with small windows (some
gables. converted glass storefronts), flat or pitched roofs,
and no detailing on the facade.
Building materials Brick (sometimes covered in stucco) and wood Brick and mortar, modern steel construction
construction
Facade characteristics Galleries on second stories, porches on residential Upper levels have galleries, while modern
single story constructions structures typical have cantilevered porches
Lot coverage ratio Building footprint consumes 50-90 percent of the Building footprint consumes 50-90 percent of the
lot lot
Density 8 du/ac 1.00-2.50 FAR

Average height 1–3 stories 1–5 stories

Elevation above street Typical 2’–4’, few 0’ Typical 2’–4’, few 0’
Front setback 0’-5’ 0’–8’

Side setbacks 0’ 0’–10’

Parking type Parallel on-street parking, some residences have Parallel on-street parking, few surface parking
private drives lots

TYPICAL HOUSING TYPE DESCRIPTIONS

0’ 75’ 150’
TYPICAL AMERICAN EXPANSION
• 2-4 stories, most often 3; most are attached
• On-street parking; port-cochere or side driveway in
other examples
• Little to no setback
• Masonry construction is typical, stucco treatment is
very common
• Styles: Greek Revival; Italianate; Eastlake styles

0’ 75’ 150’
TYPICAL DOUBLE GALLERY
• 2 stories; most are detached
• On-street parking; shallow side yards used for driveways
in some cases
• Front setback 1 to 5 feet; full-length double galleries
define the style
• Masonry construction; stucco treatment is common;
large 2 story porches
• Styles: Greek Revival; Italianate; Eastlake styles
0’ 75’ 150’
TYPICAL SHOTGUN HOUSE - SINGLE AND DOUBLE
• 1 story; sometimes with a “camelback”
• On-street parking; some side driveways
• Front setback 0-8 feet; some small yards, gated
• Wood façade material; large brackets indicate Italianate
style, front porches
• Styles: Cottages (Greek Revival and Italianate – raised
center hall and others), scattered later structures
(Italianate/Eastlake cottages; Craftsman)

AMERICAN EXPANSION DISTRICT - BUILDING CHARACTERISTICS

20
 AMERICAN EXPANSION DISTRICT
TYPICAL STREET CHARACTERISTICS RESIDENTIAL COMMERCIAL / INDUSTRIAL
Street grid Regular street grid is well connected with Commercial streets is well connected with
interruptions at I-10 and river bend interruptions at I-10 and river bend

Street hierarchy Most residential street are local roads with only Commercial located along larger streets and
two or three large boulevards acting as collectors. boulevards

Street width Boulevard: 40’, 80’, 110’ Pedestrian retail: 40’–80’, some with neutral
Interior Street: 26’, 40’ ground

Street traffic Boulevard: one-way and two-way Pedestrian retail: one-way and two-way
Interior Street: one-way

Corridor type examples Boulevard: Tchoupitoulas St., Convention Center Pedestrian retail: St. Charles Ave., Magazine St.
(Typicals measured for this study in bold) Blvd., Jackson Ave., Magazine St. Industrial service: Tchoupitoulas St., Calliope St.
Interior Street: Richard St., Annunciation St., St.
Joseph St., Euterpe St., St. Mary St., Felicity St.

TYPICAL STREET SECTIONS

40’

20’

0’

0’ 20’ 40’ 60’ 80’ 100’ 120’ 140’ 160’ 180’

TYPICAL RESIDENTIAL STREET SECTION - INTERIOR STREET (SEE ALSO: RIVERBANK DISTRICT FOR BOULEVARD SECTION)

80’

60’

40’

20’

0’

0’ 20’ 40’ 60’ 80’ 0’ 20’ 40’ 60’ 80’

TYPICAL
TYPICAL COMMERCIAL STREET SECTION - PEDESTRIAN RETAIL
COMMERCIAL TYPICAL COMMERCIAL STREET SECTION - INDUSTRIAL

AMERICAN EXPANSION DISTRICT - STREET CHARACTERISTICS

21