The Downtown Development District is a special taxing district created in 1975 to strengthen the New Orleans Central Business District by strategic planning, by implementing physical improvements and by providing additional services within the area. The D DD levies a special ad valorem tax on property within the area bounded by Claiborne Avenue, the Pontchartrain Expressway, Iberville Street and the Mississippi River.

The Arts Council's main contact with the DDD was through its contract to produce a series of Brown Bag Concerts and other arts-related events at various locations around the CBD, including Lafayette Square. The two agencies also cooperated on projects rel ated to public art in the district.