UNO documentary: Dr. Michelle Thompson and Whodata

Who: Dr. Michelle Thompson, Assistant Professor at the University of New Orleans Department of Planning & Urban Studies

Film by: UNO student and filmmaker Mason Lipscomb

Editor’s Note: NolaVie partners with students of UNO professor László Zsolt Fülöp, pairing them with artists, non-profits, environmental groups, and cultural entities to facilitate a live curriculum that results in a short documentary. In this short doc, entitled “Cartographers of the New Millenium,” UNO film student Mason Lipscomb interviews Dr. Michelle Thompson, Assistant Professor at the University of New Orleans Department of Planning & Urban Studies, about the project, what it does, and how it can help local communities. Whodata.org is an online mapping tool for the city of New Orleans. It provides organizations throughout the city to analyze properties in their area. It allows residents to assess their own neighborhoods, highlight properties that show indicators of blight, create their own maps and property lists, and share this information with the public.

The Film and Theatre Department of UNO and NolaVie present this series of short films produced by the students in Laszlo Fulop’s documentary class. Read Renee Peck’s column about the program here.