The LSU Office of Community Design and Development (OCDD) and a group of fourth‐year students from the LSU School of Architecture will help facilitate a neighborhood community visioning day in New Orleans’ Indian Village in Gentilly. “Thanksgiving in the Park,” will be held this Wednesday, November 11, from 2‐7 PM under a large tent in the park at the corner of Iroquois and Hiawatha streets.

In addition to creating an opportunity for residents to share in a communitywide social event, Thanksgiving in the Park will focus on developing momentum for a resident‐led planning and visioning process that addresses both the current and future needs of the neighborhood.

LSU students will help facilitate this planning process in several ways. They will conduct informal digital interviews with residents to hear stories about the neighborhood, discuss with residents their ideas for the future of the neighborhood, create a visual inventory and assessment of properties throughout the neighborhood, and share preliminary design ideas for a community center in the heart of the neighborhood. They will also create an archive of historic events, people and places for the neighborhood association, and participate in neighborhood tours given by long‐time residents

“This outreach activity introduces students to a grassroots, resident‐led process for neighborhood development at the intersection of community and the built environment,” says OCDD Director Marsha Cuddeback, who is leading the project. “It gives students an opportunity to cultivate their skills in the field and reflect on the value of civic engagement.”

The event’s hosts are Bethel Colony South and the Indian Village Neighborhood Association. Bethel Colony South is a long time service learning partner of OCDD and the School of Architecture.