Louisiana Speaks forums set for today, Jan. 31; input sought

The multi-faceted planning process, Louisiana Speaks is launching a three-week campaign for citizens to offer feedback on coastal protection and economic development in South Louisiana.

“Our mission is to gather information from the community and community leaders concerning coastal restoration and protection. We would like to know what is of value and priority to the people in Terrebonne and Lafourche parishes. Their responses will serve as the foundation for what we are calling the regional vision,” said Louisiana Recovery Authority’s Deputy Communications Director Melissa Landry.

Landry said the Louisiana Speaks polling period opened Jan. 22.

In the Tri-parishes a meeting will be held 4 p.m. today at the Thibodaux Civic Center in Thibodaux, and at 4 p.m., Jan. 31 at the Terrebonne Council Chambers in Houma.

According to Louisiana Speaks representatives, Gov. Kathleen Blanco created the planning commission in the aftermath of the 2005 coastal storms. The LRA endorses the Louisiana Speaks campaign.

LRA is the planning and coordinating body for the state’s recovery and rebuilding. The LRA Fund was established at the Baton Rouge Area Foundation in order to provide external resources and to support the LRA’s vision and mandate.

“In the wake of destruction caused by hurricanes Katrina and Rita, the Louisiana Speaks initiative worked toward the development of a sustainable, long-term recovery vision for South Louisiana,” Landry said.

The regional plan ties together coastal protection, transportation planning, eco-development planning into one comprehensive plan that will provide the framework for local and governmental organizations in the coastal parishes, according to Landry.

“We know that we can’t replace the hopes and dreams that have been lost, but we are committed to helping the citizens of South Louisiana build new ones. South Louisiana will recover and heal to become a better place … safer, more prosperous, cleaner and healthier,” the deputy communications director explained.

The process includes:

• Planning for individual homeowners and businesses through the development of a toolkit for residential and commercial architecture, which is led by the Urban Design Association;

• Planning for neighborhoods through local design charrettes. Charettes are often used to describe the final, intense work effort expended by art and architecture students to meet a project deadline. The project is led by Duany-Plater Zyberk;

• Parish-level planning supported by Long-Term Community Recovery Teams, which are coordinated through the LRA the U.S. Department of Homeland Security’s Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA);

• And South Louisiana regional planning, which is a 25-year process led by Calthorpe Associates.

Other contributors include the Center for Planning Excellence (CPEX), which was created to serve as a resource for residents, community organization, developers and elected officials to provide information on best practices for planning and urban design.

Landry said this organization educates, inspires and encourages quality control in planning and development. CPEX is the liaison between the LRA Support Foundation and the consultant team during the Louisiana Speaks planning process.

For more information visit www.lra.louisiana.gov online or call (225) 342-1700.

Sophia Ruffin can be reached at sophia@tri-parishtimes.com.