Linguistic Spaces Within the Urban Fabric: Music, Story, and Collective Memory in New Orleans

Abstract

The modern American city has been shaped by the aggressive domination of circulation and efficiency leading to a continual decline in urban public space. The potential of qualitative public space are often unmet by modern design solutions. Architects and city planners have deemed language as unnecessary, alternatively shifting their focus to pragmatic, functionalist design concerns failing to offer participatory and communicative spaces within the city. This being just as relevant in cities deep-rooted in stories and narrative such as New Orleans, Louisiana. Canal Street being a historically infamous street in heart of Downtown New Orleans sits as a reflection of the failed built environment that plagues the urban design of modern cities. Rows of palm trees, luxurious hotels and shops distract from the fact that streetscape and public spaces along Canal Street are unpleasant and dull. How can we incorporate a cities linguistic history and narrative into the design of public space? How do we construct cities around experience rather than efficiency? A combination of historical research, narrative exploration and case studies will be used to provide an opening between language and urban design in order to establish a reimaginitive master plan for Canal Street.