The New Orleans Department of Public Works has produced thousands of plans and surveys of the New Orleans area dating back to the mid 1800s. In addition to showing lot divisions, street openings and closures, and sites of city projects, these plans track neighborhood development throughout the City. Of particular interest in this collection are the materials showing Hospitals, Public Markets, Playgrounds, Parks, Schools, Levees, Fire Stations, Cemeteries, and Churches.

Items were originally cataloged based on drawing type and storage location and given a unique plan number. Drawing types include Surveys, Subdivision Plans, and Street Acquisitions for Street Openings and Closures. While these original plan numbers have been preserved, an additional numbering system (Project ID) was imposed on the collection to maintain physical and intellectual control.

Currently housed in the basement of City Hall, City Archives staff has begun working with the Department of Public Works to inventory, scan, and make- publicaly available these materials in digital format. This is an ongoing project and the digital collection will be continuously updated as the project progresses.