A Historic Courthouse Becomes Senior Housing

A New Orleans courthouse will now provide assisted living facilities, along with street-facing balconies and a bar.

1 minute read

May 23, 2023, 10:00 AM PDT

By Diana Ionescu @aworkoffiction


An 1855 New Orleans courthouse that later became a school will now enter its third act as an assisted living facility, reports Kriston Capps in Bloomberg CityLab. The building, threatened by demolition for decades, underwent a three-year renovation and got 200,000 square feet of new space to reopen this February as housing for senior residents.

The historic Greek Revival courthouse, beloved by neighbors, needed major work. “For the builders, the challenge was coming up with ways to introduce modern elements in a 168-year-old building that didn’t draw attention to themselves or challenge the integrity of the historic design.”

The renovated complex features a central hub with dining spaces, lounges, and other amenities, residential units, some with ‘neighborhood setups’ and street-facing balconies, and a bar open to the public so neighbors can enjoy the fruits of their preservation work.

The project is being well-received by locals, Capps writes. “Historic preservation efforts sometimes come up short. Buildings get lost; well-meaning neighbors can fight so hard against change that they block progress. With the Carrollton, according to its builders, everybody wins.”

Saturday, May 20, 2023 in Bloomberg CityLab

Black and white Rideshare Pick-Up Zone sign

The Slow Death of Ride Sharing

From the beginning, TNCs like Lyft and Uber touted shared rides as their key product. Now, Lyft is ending the practice.

June 1, 2023 - Human Transit

Urban sidewalk shaded by large mature trees

Cool Walkability Planning

Shadeways (covered sidewalks) and pedways (enclosed, climate controlled walkways) can provide comfortable walkability in hot climates. The Cool Walkshed Index can help plan these facilities.

June 1, 2023 - Todd Litman

Traffic on the 405 interstate freeway through the Sepulveda Pass at Getty Center Drive in Los Angeles, California

Congestion Pricing Could Be Coming to L.A.

The infamously car-centric city is weighing a proposed congestion pricing pilot program to reduce traffic and encourage public transit use.

May 30, 2023 - Los Angeles Times

View from lakeside with green grass and pink blooming flowers

Who Benefits Most from Land Conservation Efforts?

A new study estimates that recent land conservation generated $9.8 billion in wealth nationally through the housing market and that wealthier and White households benefited disproportionately.

17 minutes ago - PNAS

Close-up of black parking meter with blurred street in background

Richmond Repeals Parking Minimums, Encourages Off-Street Parking and Transit

The Virginia city is replete with underused off-street parking lots, which city councilors hope to make available for parking at more times while encouraging transit use.

1 hour ago - Next City

Multi-Family Housing

Lack of Multi-Family Zones Contributes to Nashville’s High Housing Costs, Study Says

Nashville and surrounding communities allow for a relatively small amount of multi-family housing, according to a new zoning atlas of Middle Tennessee. A regionally focused nonprofit is using the atlas to push for zoning reforms.

2 hours ago - Axios Nashville

Project Manager III

San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency

UDO Transportation Planner

City of Charlotte - Charlotte Area Transit

Urban Design for Planners 1: Software Tools

This six-course series explores essential urban design concepts using open source software and equips planners with the tools they need to participate fully in the urban design process.

Planning for Universal Design

Learn the tools for implementing Universal Design in planning regulations.