The Water Wise Hollygrove-Dixon Initiative began in 2020 through a partnership between Water Wise Gulf South and the Hollygrove-Dixon Neighborhood Association (HGDNA).
HGDNA represents all residents—homeowners and renters alike—who are committed to improving neighborhood quality of life through collaboration, beautification, and active participation in decision-making. The association envisions a future of safe, walkable streets; neighborhood-friendly businesses; accessible public green spaces; and implementation of cost-effective green infrastructure that restores the natural hydrologic function of local watersheds.

Partnership and Beginnings

Brenda Lomax-Brown, a lifelong resident and past president of HGDNA, first connected with Water Wise Gulf South after attending a Green Infrastructure 101 Workshop. Her project proposal for a rain garden and permeable parking pad at the Life Transformation Community Center won the 2018 Water Wise Green Infrastructure Challenge.
The success of that project sparked a long-term collaboration that has since expanded to multiple sites across the neighborhood—showing firsthand how green infrastructure can reduce flooding and provide many other community benefits.

Hollygrove-Dixon sits within one of New Orleans’ most flood-prone areas, bounded by Airline Highway, Palmetto Street, and General Ogden Street, where runoff from nearby expressways compounds neighborhood drainage issues. According to the Climate and Economic Justice Screening Tool, the census tract has a population of 1,466, is designated as disadvantaged, and ranks in the 99th percentile for projected flood risk and expected building loss.

Demographically, 86% of residents are Black or African American, 6% Hispanic or Latino, and 5% White, with 96% of households classified as low-income.

Chronic Flooding Challenges

The community experiences persistent flooding from:

Runoff from Airline Highway and I-10
Poorly functioning storm drains and clogged ditches
Large expanses of concrete and impervious surfaces
Limited city investment in drainage infrastructure

These issues are compounded by intense rain events and subsidence, making the case for nature-based, community-driven interventions.

Green Infrastructure in Hollygrove-Dixon

Since 2018, Water Wise and HGDNA have implemented a range of projects, including:

14 completed GI sites, such as rain gardens, bioswales, French drains, stormwater planters, and rain barrels
49,543 gallons of total water storage capacity across installations.

The initiative has also hosted 13 outreach events, 5 Green Infrastructure 101 workshops, 4 tours, and multiple Work-N-Learn sessions with partners like Tulane School of Architecture, Xavier University, and Louisiana Green Corps—collectively engaging over 750 participants in hands-on GI education.

Resident-Identified Priority Projects

Through a series of visioning sessions and workshops, residents identified multiple priority sites for future projects:

Airline Highway (Palmetto → Monroe): Curb extensions, bioswales, greenspace
Pear Street @ Pontchartrain Expressway: Bioswale and greenspace buffer
General Ogden Street (3900–4300): Permeable sidewalk pilot
Job Corps Campus: Rain gardens, green roofs, curb extensions, and pavers
Marks Street: Drainage repair and maintenance
International School of Louisiana: Replace impervious areas with greenspace

Next Steps

Hollygrove-Dixon leaders plan to:

Recruit and train additional Neighborhood Champions
Collaborate with engineers and agencies to collect detailed flood data
Document community stories through photos and videos
Install additional residential-scale GI projects
Advocate for larger city- or state-scale GI investments
Continue working within the Water Wise Gulf South Collective to share lessons and resources.

Get Involved