New Urbanism = Bars Closing Early?

Coverage of a Jefferson Parish Council meeting about zoning changes to the Fat City neighborhood to make it a mixed-use community equate New Urbanism with earlier closing times for local bars.

1 minute read

September 30, 2010, 11:00 AM PDT

By Tim Halbur


The introductory sentence sets up the confusion:

"The Jefferson Parish Council today unanimously passed the massive ordinance overhauling Fat City, including the much-debated earlier closing times for bars, introducing the popular national movement of New Urbanism for the first time in the parish."

Admittedly, the conflict is understandable: a strip of bars and clubs that have traditionally been a nightlife area are concerned that moving residents in will create unwanted tensions. But a surprising number of people in this article fixate on the closing times and equate that with the planning department's strategies:

"The plan envisions a gradual transformation of Fat City from a languishing former nightlife district into a pedestrian-friendly destination for shoppers, diners, families and condominium residents, modeled on classic, Main Street city designs."

Thursday, September 30, 2010 in The New Orleans Times-Picayune

portrait of professional woman

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching. Mary G., Urban Planner

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching.

Mary G., Urban Planner

Cover CM Credits, Earn Certificates, Push Your Career Forward

Logo for Planetizen Federal Action Tracker with black and white image of U.S. Capitol with water ripple overlay.

Planetizen Federal Action Tracker

A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.

June 11, 2025 - Diana Ionescu

Rendering of Shirley Chisholm Village four-story housing development with person biking in front.

San Francisco's School District Spent $105M To Build Affordable Housing for Teachers — And That's Just the Beginning

SFUSD joins a growing list of school districts using their land holdings to address housing affordability challenges faced by their own employees.

June 8, 2025 - Fast Company

Yellow single-seat Japanese electric vehicle drivign down road.

The Tiny, Adorable $7,000 Car Turning Japan Onto EVs

The single seat Mibot charges from a regular plug as quickly as an iPad, and is about half the price of an average EV.

June 6, 2025 - PC Magazine

Rendering of autonomous cargo train moving across bridge across river in wooded area between Texas and Mexico.

Trump Approves Futuristic Automated Texas-Mexico Cargo Corridor

The project could remove tens of thousands of commercial trucks from roadways.

4 hours ago - FreightWaves

Rendering of white three-story single-stair building in Austin, Texas with staircase in the middle.

Austin's First Single Stair Apartment Building is Officially Underway

Eliminating the requirement for two staircases in multi-story residential buildings lets developers use smaller lots and more flexible designs to create denser housing.

5 hours ago - Building Design & Construction

MARTA bus with Atlanta skyline in background

Atlanta Bus System Redesign Will Nearly Triple Access

MARTA's Next Gen Bus Network will retool over 100 bus routes, expand frequent service.

6 hours ago - Mass Transit