Amy Stelly is an artist, designer, planner and teacher known for her advocacy work with the Claiborne Avenue Alliance, a coalition “dedicated to the thoughtful development of the Claiborne corridor.” Stelly’s work made international headlines recently when the Biden administration cited the Claiborne expressway, built by the federal government in the 1960s, as an example of historic inequity. On this week’s Biz Talks podcast, Stelly explains why the elevated expressway never should have been built, why it should come down and how to get the job done.
Amy Stelly is an artist, designer, planner and teacher. Her body of work includes architectural and urban design, along with abstract painting, drawing, mask-making, photography, poetry, mixed-media and three-dimensional construction.
As a designer and planner, her scope of work includes building and open space design, historic restoration, downtown and neighborhood revitalization, environmental planning, zoning, entitlements, site planning, streetscape and landscape design. Her advocacy work with the Claiborne Avenue Alliance includes spearheading a recent study of community health outcomes for all living or working near urban highways. Amy’s work with the Claiborne Avenue Alliance made international headlines recently when the Claiborne Expressway was recognized as a “an example of historic inequity” by the Biden administration.
Amy has studied and worked with acclaimed masters, including Andres Duany, Elizabeth Plater-Zyberk, Douglas Farr and the late Charles Moore. She has lectured on urban gardens and the history of planning and open space in Treme; and she’s written about the value of community engagement and public accountability for The Lens, an online investigative publication.
Amy is a licensed tour guide, specializing in tours that look at the changing urban fabric. She is a native of New Orleans and lives in Treme where her family has resided for four generations.
