AN ADVISORY SERVICES PANEL REPORT Shreveport/BossierCity … · 2020. 7. 9. · Shreveport/Bossier...

A N A D V I S O R Y S E R V I C E S P A N E L R E P O R T

Shreveport/Bossier CityLouisiana

Urban LandInstitute$

Shreveport/Bossier CityLouisianaA Strategy for the Red River Communities

April 23–28, 2006An Advisory Services Panel Report

ULI–the Urban Land Institute1025 Thomas Jefferson Street, N.W.Suite 500 WestWashington, D.C. 20007-5201

An Advisory Services Panel Report2

ULI–the Urban Land Institute is a non-profit research and education organiza-tion that promotes responsible leadership in the use of land in order to enhance the

total environment.

The Institute maintains a membership represent-ing a broad spectrum of interests and sponsors awide variety of educational programs and forumsto encourage an open exchange of ideas and shar-ing of experience. ULI initiates research that an-ticipates emerging land use trends and issues andproposes creative solutions based on that re-search; provides advisory services; and publishesa wide variety of materials to disseminate infor-mation on land use and development.

Established in 1936, the Institute today has morethan 34,000 members and associates from 90 coun-tries, representing the entire spectrum of the landuse and development disciplines. Professionals rep-

resented include developers, builders, propertyowners, investors, architects, public officials,planners, real estate brokers, appraisers, attor-neys, engineers, financiers, academics, students,and librarians. ULI relies heavily on the expe-rience of its members. It is through member in-volvement and information resources that ULIhas been able to set standards of excellence indevelopment practice. The Institute has long beenrecognized as one of America’s most respectedand widely quoted sources of objective informa-tion on urban planning, growth, and development.

This Advisory Services panel report is intended to further the objectives of the Institute and tomake authoritative information generally avail-able to those seeking knowledge in the field ofurban land use.

Richard M. RosanPresident

About ULI–the Urban Land Institute

©2007 by ULI–the Urban Land Institute1025 Thomas Jefferson Street, N.W. Suite 500 WestWashington, D.C. 20007-5201

All rights reserved. Reproduction or use of the whole or anypart of the contents without written permission of the copy-right holder is prohibited.

Cover photo by Tom W. Eitler

Shreveport, Louisiana, April 23–28, 2006 3

The goal of ULI’s Advisory Services Programis to bring the finest expertise in the realestate field to bear on complex land use plan-ning and development projects, programs,

and policies. Since 1947, this program has assem-bled well over 400 ULI-member teams to helpsponsors find creative, practical solutions forissues such as downtown redevelopment, landmanagement strategies, evaluation of develop-ment potential, growth management, communityrevitalization, brownfields redevelopment, mili-tary base reuse, provision of low-cost and afford-able housing, and asset management strategies,among other matters. A wide variety of public,private, and nonprofit organizations have con-tracted for ULI’s Advisory Services.

Each panel team is composed of highly qualifiedprofessionals who volunteer their time to ULI.They are chosen for their knowledge of the paneltopic and screened to ensure their objectivity.ULI’s interdisciplinary panel teams provide aholistic look at development problems. A re-spected ULI member who has previous panelexperience chairs each panel.

The agenda for a five-day panel assignment is in-tensive. It includes an in-depth briefing day com-posed of a tour of the site and meetings with spon-sor representatives; a day of hour-long interviewsof typically 50 to 75 key community representa-tives; and two days of formulating recommenda-tions. Many long nights of discussion precede thepanel’s conclusions. On the final day on site, thepanel makes an oral presentation of its findingsand conclusions to the sponsor. A written report isprepared and published.

Because the sponsoring entities are responsiblefor significant preparation before the panel’s visit,including sending extensive briefing materials toeach member and arranging for the panel to meetwith key local community members and stake-holders in the project under consideration, partici-

pants in ULI’s five-day panel assignments areable to make accurate assessments of a sponsor’sissues and to provide recommendations in a com-pressed amount of time.

A major strength of the program is ULI’s uniqueability to draw on the knowledge and expertise ofits members, including land developers and own-ers, public officials, academicians, representativesof financial institutions, and others. In fulfillmentof the mission of the Urban Land Institute, thisAdvisory Services panel report is intended toprovide objective advice that will promote the re-sponsible use of land to enhance the environment.

ULI Program StaffRachelle L. LevittExecutive Vice President, Policy and Practice

Mary Beth CorriganVice President, Advisory Services and Policy Programs

Thomas W. EitlerDirector, Advisory Services

Nicholas GabelAssociate, Advisory Services

Carmen McCormickPanel Coordinator, Advisory Services

Yvonne StantonAdministrative Assistant

Nancy H. StewartDirector, Book Program

Lise Lingo, Publications Professionals LLCManuscript Editor

Betsy Van BuskirkArt Director

Martha LoomisDesktop Publishing Specialist/Graphics

Susan S. Teachey, ON-Q Design, Inc.Layout Artist

Kim RuschGraphics

Craig ChapmanDirector, Publishing Operations

About ULI Advisory Services


On behalf of the Urban Land Institute, the panel extends its sincere appreciationto the panel sponsor, the NorthwestLouisiana Board of Realtors, and the

members of Project SB. Our work would not havebeen possible without the leadership and commit-ment of these community volunteers. The skillfulmanagement by Project SB leaders of all facets ofthe panel project, including preparing the brief-ing book, arranging for site tours, and makingarrangements for ULI, made this panel possible.The panel would also like to thank Mayor KeithHightower of Shreveport, Mayor Lorenz Walker

of Bossier City, and all the staff members of thetwo cities for their hospitality and help in prepar-ing for and arranging the panel process. In addi-tion, we wish to thank the Bossier Parish PoliceJury, the Caddo Parish Commission, and their respective staff members and representativeswho took part in the panel process. The energy,creativity, and determination of the community in building bridges and support for the regionwere inspiring.

Acknowledgments


ULI Panel and Project Staff 6

Foreword: The Panel’s Assignment 7

Regional Overview 9

Why a Master Plan? 10

Guiding Principles 12

Key Commercial and Mixed-Use Districts 14

Implementation 26

Conclusion 35

About the Panel 36

Contents


Panel ChairLeigh M. FergusonDirector of Urban Living/Executive Vice President

Sloss Real Estate GroupBirmingham, Alabama

Panel MembersMichael D. BeyardSenior Resident Fellow, ULI/Martin Bucksbaum Chair for Retail and Entertainment

ULI–the Urban Land InstituteWashington, D.C.

Carolyn A. DekleExecutive DirectorSouth Florida Regional Planning CouncilHollywood, Florida

James R. HarrisPresident James R. Harris Partners, LLCFort Worth, Texas

Cecilia A. MowattStrategies in Site, Inc.Chicago, Illinois

Paul MoyerPrincipal/Vice PresidentEDAW, Inc.Alexandria, Virginia

Thomas MurphyGulf Coast CoordinatorULI–the Urban Land InstituteWashington, D.C.

Zane SegalPresidentZane Segal Properties, Inc.Houston, Texas

Warren WhitlockDirector, Construction CoordinationColumbia UniversityNew York, New York

ULI Project DirectorsMary Beth CorriganVice President, Advisory Services

Thomas W. EitlerDirector, Advisory Services

ULI On-Site CoordinatorsCarmen McCormickPanel Coordinator

Clair WoolleyEditorial Assistant

ULI Panel and Project Staff

Shreveport, Louisiana, April 23–28, 20067

Representatives from the NorthwestLouisiana Board of Realtors asked ULI to assemble an Advisory Services panel to help the public and private sectors take

a fresh look at some regional issues facing theShreveport/Bossier City area. The panel was toprovide a prospectus and recommendations onhow to help the region prepare for its future, maximize its resources, and capitalize on the plan-ning and economic development studies that havebeen completed.

The ULI team reviewed extensive briefing mate-rials before coming to Shreveport/Bossier City. It started with a preliminary set of questions re-garding the region’s market potential, economicviability, planning environment, and organiza-tional culture. After reviewing the extensive dataand information available, touring the region, andinterviewing more than 120 community members,business leaders, stakeholders, and civic leaders,the panel formulated its report. This report isbased on what the panel believes is a structurethat will help the community as a whole move be-yond planning and report writing to action andvisible results. There are many assets in this com-munity and many exciting projects and initiatives.There are also areas of neglect and opportunitywaiting to be seized.

Overview This panel report is about moving beyond plan-ning into the realm of doing. It is about taking key action steps, making assignments, being lead-ers in addressing those things in the region thatneed improvement, strengthening those thingsthat are assets, and working together to makeShreveport, Bossier City, and the region the pre-mier area that the panel believes it can be.

To be honest, the panel was working on informa-tion overload. Many studies, reports, and docu-

Foreword: The Panel’s Assignment

ments have been prepared. The panel reviewedthem (some in greater detail than others) and be-lieves they form a solid foundation on which tobuild beyond planning into action. It appears tothe panel that there is a general fear—for lack of a better word—of putting some of the plans intoaction. Priorities need to be set, and both citiesand the region need to begin being proactive inshaping their futures, not reactive to what isbrought to them in development proposals.

Location map.

Regional map.


The intent of this report is to help the region cre-ate a unified vision, set priorities, establish thesteps—the list of tasks—for getting each priorityaction done, and identify who should do what. Noone person or organization can do all that is setforth in this report or all that needs to be done toachieve the vision. Doing it all will take teamworkand leadership. This means that people and orga-nizations need to work on identifiable tasks thatall come together to make the whole, without du-plicating efforts.

Summary of RecommendationsThe panel recommends that the cities undertakethe following tasks:

• Initiate the rebranding of the entire metro-politan area as the Red River Communities.Provide leadership by speaking with one voiceand portraying one vision for the Red RiverCommunities.

• Focus organizational leadership to move beyondplanning and report writing into discrete andaction-oriented short-, mid-, and long-termtasks and responsibilities.

• Prepare new master plans for Shreveport andBossier City that complement and reinforceeach other and support the region as a whole.Plan each jurisdiction as a series of urban vil-lages that have both a common theme (RedRiver Communities) and distinguishing fea-tures. Make design a key component of eachurban village.

• Create a nonprofit historic preservation al-liance to maintain and commemorate the en-tire array of historic structures and locationsin the two cities.

• Prepare an outdoor recreation and open spacestrategy that cuts across all jurisdictions andcelebrates the appeal of the Red River Commu-nities. Foster and promote outdoor recreationalactivities such as hiking, biking, kayaking andcanoeing, and leisure walking. Link the RedRiver and adjacent stream valleys, nearbywildlife refuges, and existing public parks into acoherent and traversable system.

• Work to maintain existing economic driverssuch as the medical complex, the universities,Barksdale Air Force Base (AFB), the port, andthe airport. Focus on new drivers that feed offexisting development. Establish public/privatepartnerships that promote a strategy for futureuses in and around the existing drivers.

• Complete four specific projects that will con-tribute to and will establish a track record forthe rebranding of the cities as the Red RiverCommunities:

• Build a pedestrian bridge across the RedRiver to reconnect the downtowns. Completeconstruction by November 2008.

• Revitalize Ledbetter Heights by promotingand encouraging new mixed-income, mixed-use development.

• Revitalize Old Bossier by promoting and encouraging new mixed-income, mixed-usedevelopment.

• Develop a mixed-use project in an adaptivelyused historic commercial building in the TexasStreet corridor in downtown Shreveport.

The panel report is divided into the following sections:

• Regional overview: the panel’s perception of the region;

• Master planning: what it is and what it means inthis region;

• Guiding principles: what the Red River Com-munities can learn from successful regions;

• Districts and neighborhoods: moving from pro-jects to community; and

• Implementation: the action items that can starttoday.


The focus of this report is the greaterShreveport/Bossier City area, with specificscrutiny on the downtowns and commercialcorridors of both cities. The Red River is the

conspicuous natural feature in the study area.More than just a physical barrier, the river im-poses a psychological rift between the two cities.This rift is embodied in the perception of Shreve-port as the older, declining central city and Bos-sier as the “white flight” jurisdiction with both recent successes and emerging problems. Incor-porated in 1839 as a steamboat and railroad town,Shreveport now acts as the economic and culturalcenter of northwest Louisiana. The oil boom in theearly 20th century established Shreveport as thecenter of the oil industry for the three-state re-gion known as Ar-La-Tex (Arkansas, Louisiana,and Texas). Allied industries, manufacturing, fi-nancing and banking, and agriculture dominatedthe economy through the end of the 1980s. Educa-tion was a natural offspring of the population andemployment growth. Shreveport is home to sev-eral colleges, including Louisiana State Universityin Shreveport, Centenary College of Louisiana,Southern University at Shreveport, LouisianaState University Health Sciences Center Shreve-port (a medical school), Bossier Parish CommunityCollege, and Louisiana Baptist University. With acombined population of more than 375,000 in themetropolitan area, Shreveport is the third largestcity in Louisiana.

In the 1980s, the downturn in the oil industry ad-versely affected the two cities. In the 1990s, thetwo cities were successful in attracting the gam-ing industry to their downtowns. Both Shreveportand Bossier have several riverboat casinos thatare the focus of both the local nightlife and thetourist industry. The casinos attract a substantialnumber of visitors from Texas. Both cities haveused the revenue from these casinos to construct avariety of well-executed public works projects.However, there is some concern about how long

the gaming industry will continue to be viable inthe region if Texas passes gaming legislation. Thestate border lies only 20 miles west, so it is un-likely that the casinos will continue to be as lucra-tive as they have been. The attention that is beinggiven to the downtowns from these gaming rev-enues, in the form of public projects, has not gen-erally translated into a resurgence of commercialor residential development in the downtowns. Inthe meantime, typical sprawl development alongcommercial corridors has developed at the ex-pense of the downtown cores.

This report outlines strategies and policies thatwill help all the jurisdictions begin to reassess the value of the urban core, establish a series ofurban villages to help reduce sprawl and streng-then commercial areas, and reestablish the down-towns as the center of commercial and culturallife. The panel sees positive growth in fields suchas medicine, multimodal transportation, and hightechnology associated with Barksdale AFB andthe universities, and the emergence of an ethni-cally diverse downtown that can be cultivated intosuccessful alternatives to the oil and gaming in-dustries. The panel also sees the Red River as atremendous asset that can be a unifying featurefor the region.

Regional Overview

The Shreveport RiverfrontPark with the illuminatedTexas Street bridge in thebackground.


must be specific and go beyond the existing plans’ strategic approach to detail spatial layouts.Spatial master plans must set out how streets,squares, and open spaces are connected; defineheights, bulk, and massing of buildings; and so on. Good spatial plans help shape places, makingthem distinctive and pointing them in directionsfor future change.

A master plan serves as a guide for future use ofboth urbanized land and undeveloped farm land. Itshould reflect a long-term vision as well as enableshort-term decisions. Good master plans guidemunicipalities in two ways: (1) by creating a senseof place for the city and taking a proactive stanceon what the city will be in the future and (2) bylaying out the desired uses, determining majorthoroughfares and their extensions, and planningwater and sanitary sewer extensions.

Without a guide, development is more difficult topropose and approve. Homeowners should knowwhat neighboring land uses are, so as to feel confi-dent about what will be built around them; devel-opers and investors need predictability in order tomake significant economic decisions. A good landuse plan helps all parties and facilitates land usedecisions. Politics become much less of a factor inmaking zoning decisions. City and planning staffalso need a guide to use when processing zoningapplications. A master plan serves as the guide for the development of a city; zoning ordinancesdirect the implementation of development.

Design must be a key component of the masterplan. Design standards for landscapes, hard-scapes, and buildings must feed off the rich his-tory of the two cities and the surroundingparishes. Development in the Ledbetter Heightsand the Old Bossier neighborhoods should cater tothe vivid architectural vernacular (shotgun style)while providing the modern conveniences of 21st-century building materials and standards. Like-wise, greenfield development should strongly en-

Shreveport and Bossier City have each conducted various degrees of master plan-ning that represents significant effort andthought. The panel received and reviewed

the following documents (either master plans orcomponents of master plans):

• Bossier Comprehensive Land Use and Develop-ment Plan (Wilbur Smith Associates, 2002);

• Bossier Parish Transportation Plan (2004);

• 1987 Master Plan Compendium Update for the Shreveport Metropolitan Planning Area(adopted October 21, 1987);

• Shreveport Metropolitan Master Plan, A Report on the 1980—1982 Amendments to the 1978 Plan (Stephen H. Pitkin, 1982);

• Shreveport Metropolitan Master Plan (August 1978);

• City of Shreveport Consolidated Plan ’04–’08 (J. Quad & Associates, 2003, with the City ofShreveport Department of Community Devel-opment); and

• Shreveport Comprehensive RevitalizationStrategies Addendum—Martin L. King Jr.Neighborhood and Cedar Grove Neighbor-hood (2003, prepared by J. Quad & Associateswith the City of Shreveport Department ofCommunity Development).

ULI believes that the master plan process is criti-cal to smart growth and urban land development.This is true for both existing urban areas andgreenfields at the fringes. The panel recommendsfirst, that additional effort be expended to reviewthe existing plans and strategies and consolidaterecommendations into an updated master plan foreach municipality and second, that a regional mas-ter plan that incorporates the several masterplans be developed. The updated master plans

Why a Master Plan?


courage design that re-creates, reflects, and com-memorates the local past, using techniques fromthe traditional neighborhood development such aswalkable streets, four-sided architecture, and adesign approach focused on pattern, hierarchy,and detail.

The master plan should be broadly based. Com-munity organizations, businesses, churches, edu-cational institutions, the development and build-ing industry, land owners, and neighborhoodassociations are among the groups that should be involved in the planning process. Because theplan will be developed through broad citizeninput, it will reflect consensus as much as possi-ble. Major issues can thus be dealt with beforethey arise, not in a heated session of the zoningcommission in front of dozens of angry homeown-ers and applicants.

City staff and these stakeholders should carefullyconsider the future use of each tract of land withinthe city. Existing uses will generally be accepted,but future uses that better reflect consensusshould be studied. Land use decisions should bemade to best represent, as closely as possible, thegoals of individual property owners, neighbor-hoods, and the metropolitan area as a whole. Inmany cases making such decisions will not be easy.Collaboration and compromise will be necessary.

Plans for undeveloped (outlying) property shouldreflect the vision of those crafting the master plan.Planning for such land can be more difficult be-

cause it entails applying a long-term vision toproperty that may not be developed for manyyears. Careful consideration must be given to projecting the impact of future traffic and the implications of utility extension, as well as costs,on the metropolitan area as a whole. When possi-ble, urban villages should be considered whenplanning these outlying areas.

Because each tract and land parcel should beconsidered, the master plan process could take as long as a year. However, it is impossible tooveremphasize the importance of spending thismuch time on something so productive.

After such significant effort has gone into themaster plan, updating it will require much lesstime. Ideally the plan should be updated eachyear. That may seem unnecessarily frequent, but it means that much less time will be neededto update it. At the very least, the master planshould be updated every three years. It is crucialthat this process focus on a sustainable, achiev-able vision and be done with as much citizeninput as possible.

A project announcing traditional neighborhooddevelopment is locatedin the southern suburbsof Shreveport.


As the cities begin implementing therecommendations of this panel report, all involved should keep several principlesin mind.

Make Decisions Regionally, Act LocallyThe panel has named the region the Red RiverCommunities to include not only Shreveport andBossier City but also the smaller towns and unin-corporated areas of Bossier and Caddo parishes.The Red River Communities is a regional econ-omy with regional issues. It is now time to startthinking and acting as a region. Although manyactivities now happen on a regional level—mar-keting the region, some economic developmentactivities, etc.—these actions need to be institu-tionalized among all government entities at alllevels. That should include the city, parish, andfederal (for Barksdale AFB) governments. Somedecisions need to be made on a local level, butthose should still be made in the context of the re-gion. This is how the state of Florida approachesplanning, and several other areas around thecountry are adopting this model.

Consider the Region as a Collection ofUrban VillagesWhere past development has radiated from a central urban core, new development patternsaround the country exhibit a more multicentricpattern. There are nodes of development aroundcentral activities. Instead of one downtown theremay be a regional central business district and several smaller urban village centers that pro-vide their immediate areas with an identity and a sense of community. Using this pattern is a keyto avoiding sprawl. Design of the communitiesshould be foremost in the decision-making process.

Restructure Regulations towardPublic/Private IncentivesThe regulations that support the regional andlocal plans (if applicable) need to allow govern-ment to be proactive, not just reactive. Thepanel’s sense is that if a project comes in and itlooks good, it is approved. There is not a lot ofthought devoted to where a project fits into theoverall regional vision or how it will enhance thecommunity as a whole. The regulations that comefrom the master planning process should focus onpartnerships, so that both the public sector andthe private sector win. The regulations should alsoprovide incentives that will result in the type ofdevelopment that the communities want, not justwhat they are offered.

Emphasize the Public Realm toConnect NeighborhoodsThe region is blessed with beautiful natural as-sets—the Red River and gently rolling hills—thatshould be incorporated into the overall vision andmaster plan for the region. Other areas of the pub-lic realm, such as streetscapes that are or can bemade inviting, and parks and public open space, allneed to be connected. Connected neighborhoods

Guiding Principles

Town vs. sprawl.


and communities are easier to sustain than thosethat are cut off from each other by natural or builtbarriers. The challenge is to maintain the distinc-tiveness of each area while connecting them. De-sign must play an important role in the real estatedevelopment process. The sustainability of neigh-borhoods is strengthened when good design isconsidered and implemented.

Brand the Red River CommunitiesThe panel developed the name Red River Com-munities, but the citizens of the region may choosea different name. The point is to create a nameand a brand that will unify the region. Everyoneknows that the Twin Cities are Minneapolis andSt. Paul; the Bay Area is San Francisco, Oakland,Berkeley, and the surrounding communities;South Florida is Miami, Fort Lauderdale, andWest Palm Beach; and Chicagoland includes notonly the city of Chicago but also the surroundingcommunities. A brand will allow the region tomarket internally and externally.

Use Bottom-Up Community Involvement For any region to succeed and prosper, planningand strategy building must develop from the com-munity, not be directed by a select few. The moreopen and inclusive the process, the more commu-nity buy-in there is, and the greater the chancefor success. Although an open, inclusive, bottom-up process may seem arduous to some, the resultis a plan that will stand the test of time. Consen-sus cannot be achieved on every issue or pro-posal. However, following a process that allowsconsensus building will strengthen the city gov-ernment’s new approach to work for the greatergood of the community.


The structure of today’s metropolitan com-mercial districts has evolved. Instead of onecommercial district downtown, metropolitanareas now have multiple commercial dis-

tricts. In the Red River Communities, the panelhas identified four major commercial districts:

• Red River District (all of downtown Shreveportand the Bossier City waterfront; area focusedon culture, entertainment, and dining);

• Golden Triangle (the area of the hospital, In-tertech Science Park, and Mall St. Vincent);

• Youree Drive District (specialty and big-boxstores, auto, service); and

• Bossier Town Center (specialty and big-boxstores, service).

The panel supports the designation of the RedRiver District as the employment, cultural, enter-tainment, and dining center of the metro area. TheGolden Triangle is the high-value location foremerging technologies and biomedical industries,along with Mall St. Vincent. The Youree DriveDistrict, together with the nearby Mall St. Vin-cent, has become the retail center of the regionwith the most diverse selection of goods and ser-vices. Public policy should support this clusteringof retail uses. Bossier Town Center is currentlythe municipal center for Bossier City, the site ofPierre Bossier Mall, strip malls, and big-boxstores. All four districts should be designatedurban villages. The public sector will need to as-sist in this transformation by creating appropriateregulatory mechanisms to support the evolution ofthese districts into more urban, mixed-use dis-tricts with pedestrian orientations, an evolutionneeded to strengthen their competitive positions.

In addition to these four urban commercial dis-tricts, the metropolitan area has numerous retailstrips:

• Mansfield Road (south Shreveport);

• East Texas and Old Minden Roads, US-79/80(east Bossier);

• Barksdale Boulevard (south Bossier);

• Airport Road (north Bossier);

• Greenwood Road, US-79/80 (west Shreveport);

• Martin Luther King Drive (MLK neighbor-hood); and

• Kouns Industrial Loop (Shreveport).

These and other retail strips in the region are invarious states of economic health. A few are thriv-ing, but most show unmistakable signs of slow deterioration, with marginal tenants and visualblight. This deterioration has a strong negative effect on surrounding neighborhoods and hastensboth their loss of a sense of community andmiddle-class flight to other neighborhoods. InShreveport and Bossier City, as in the rest of thecountry, the market for retail is evolving rapidly;consumer demands are changing and these stripsare deteriorating because there is too much retailin better locations. Wal-Mart and similar storesare soaking up demand at the value end of retail-ing (the metro area has five—soon to be six—Wal-Marts). In addition, specialty shoppers are lookingfor different environments than strips provide.

The panel believes that both cities should focus oncreating commercial districts rather than strips. Ahierarchy of regional, community, and neighbor-hood commercial districts should be designated onthe basis of the strength of the market along eachstrip. The cities should create an area plan foreach commercial district or strip that reduces theamount of land zoned for retail at its outer edges.In addition, the zoning should be changed at se-lected locations along each strip, such as key inter-sections, to allow higher densities of mixed-use

Key Commercial and Mixed-Use Districts


development and more urban building configura-tions (no setbacks) while maintaining low-density,auto-oriented areas, in line with evolving con-sumer demand. On deteriorating strips, areasshould be rezoned for higher-density residentialdevelopment or open space, recreational use, andservices that are needed but not provided. Thiswill strengthen neighborhoods near those strips,making them more livable and more desirable sothat people remain in and want to move into them.

Walkable places with a higher-quality environmentand design should be required at the densest loca-tions along each strip. Single-family neighbor-hoods should be protected from encroachment by commercial development, and they should belinked by encouraging higher-density residentialuses and standard pedestrian requirements—especially sidewalks, pedestrian signals, andhigher standards for landscaping and building design. The goal should be to build an image alongeach strip that reinforces the role that the marketwill support for each district in the coming years.

It is the panel’s opinion that these roles will differgreatly from the current dysfunctional strip retail,and that in the future cities will have to accommo-date these differences to be successful. To achievethis gradual change, the Red River Communitiesshould aggressively design and use incentivessuch as density bonuses, transfer of developmentrights, tax abatements, and direct public infra-structure improvements.

The Red River DistrictThe panel believes strongly that the Red RiverDistrict should be extended to take in all ofdowntown Shreveport as well as the Bossier Citywaterfront. This is more than a symbolic decision;it reflects the need to rebrand the greater down-town area based on its greatest strength. It re-flects the reality that the economic energy is scat-tered on both sides of the river and in sectionsaway from the riverfront. It also embraces thefact that residents and visitors move back andforth across the river seamlessly while engaged in

Key commercial andmixed-use districts.


their day-to-day activities. Decisions made in bothcommunities should recognize this reality and re-inforce the opportunity for more connections.

A larger Red River District has significant com-petitive advantages that each city’s downtowndoes not have independently. Within the combineddistrict are found most of the region’s casinos, theboardwalk and cinema complex, other entertain-ment venues, restaurants and clubs, the majorconcentration of offices, the new convention cen-ter, museums and tourist attractions, theaters,riverfront parks, and an emerging arts and cul-tural district. This is an impressive amount of activity, and both cities have made tremendousprogress in transforming this combined downtowndistrict and creating a regional destination. Thepanel applauds these efforts. But some projectsare struggling, some have failed, and the down-town is not yet fulfilling its potential.

To rebuild momentum and to sustain progress requires filling in the missing pieces in the down-town puzzle and creating more bridges betweenthem. The panel believes that both cities need tomove more aggressively from developing anchorprojects, which the downtowns now have, to cre-ating successful areas that function synergisticallywithin the Red River District. Strategies thatconnect these projects with smaller-scale retail,dining, and arts and music–related activities needto be reinforced, so that downtown demand grows,momentum builds, and activities better supportone another to achieve a successful whole.

The panel strongly believes that the most im-portant missing piece of the puzzle—the key tosuccess—needed to make all these other activitiesdoable from a development perspective and sus-tainable from a market perspective, is a critical

mass of residential development. Without signifi-cant residential development in the Red RiverDistrict, the panel does not believe that these additional activities will evolve downtown. To this end, a major short-term recommendation isfor both cities to immediately initiate a develop-ment process to bring the recommended criticalmass of housing to both sides of the river. Thisprocess will support the regional vision for a thriv-ing and exciting regional downtown that will con-tinue to drive the regional economy.

The Golden Triangle The Golden Triangle is the rebranded name pro-posed for the primary center of high-technology,new-economy employment in the metro area. It is an established, urban, medium-density hospitaldistrict that is slowly growing as a mixed-use location with a strong regional draw. It has the potential to be a model for the kind of urban vil-lage that the panel envisions for other locations,with a mix of high-value jobs, retail services, insti-tutional uses, and housing types that are not wellrepresented in the regional market, including re-tirement housing, urban mixed-use housing, andaffordable housing.

The opportunity to leverage the attributes of thisdistrict are great, not only because of the hospitaland associated high-tech jobs but also because thisdistrict is adjacent to the higher-end shopping atMall St. Vincent, the exclusive residential neigh-borhoods such as Fairfield and South Highland,and the more affordable neighborhoods to thenorth and west. Other draws are its proximity to downtown and great regional freeway accessi-bility. In addition, this district has ample land thathas outlived its usefulness for industrial use andneeds redevelopment. All these factors give thislocation a strong competitive advantage. Thepanel strongly supports the type of pedestrian,lifestyle-oriented, live-work-play environmentplanned by the Medical Research Foundation inthis district. This environment can be a prototypeof the type of contemporary urban developmentthat could occur in this location and that could beseen in other parts of the metro area if the recom-mendations made today are implemented.

The Red River entertainment

district.


There are many challenges to overcome to achievethis vision, including environmental cleanup; reuseor replacement of existing buildings; provision ofinfrastructure such as landscaped streets, side-walks, and other pedestrian amenities; and compe-tition from other metropolitan areas. Develop-ments of this type and complexity usually requiresome type of public/private partnership to achievesuccess, as well as a champion to drive the projectfrom inception to completion. The city of Shreve-port should develop incentives for the higher-value, mixed-use environment that the market willsupport in this location, in order to leverage theprivate investment needed to achieve the vision.

Residential CommunitiesShreveport and Bossier City are blessed withmany beautiful, livable, and distinct neighbor-hoods. As in other cities, some are historic andneed revitalization to serve 21st-century needs.Others are newer and fall in a range of prices,from modest to luxurious. To be competitive in aglobal economy, the metro area must value all itsneighborhoods, old and new, and create the kind ofresidential environment in each that will ensure

that residents want to remain and that new resi-dents are attracted. Diversity of housing types,opportunities, and social environments should beevery community’s goal, but some neighborhoodshave been left behind, to the detriment not only oftheir residents’ quality of life but also of the healthof the metro area.

In partnership with the private sector, the citiesneed to actively protect and preserve the charac-ter of neighborhoods as a whole, not just individ-ual buildings. They need to establish long-termprograms to restore and maintain infrastructurein all neighborhoods to the standards currentlyapplied in new development areas. They need todevelop incentives for mixed-income housing toreplace public housing and to fill in empty sites ad-jacent to and within commercial districts and inother urban locations, so as to provide morechoices and stabilize neighborhoods. The panelstrongly believes that the cities should avoid cre-ating isolated low-income residential enclaves,whether in inner-city neighborhoods or near thefringes of the metro area.

BioSpace 1, part of theIntertech Office Park.

Strong neighborhoods offer the cities the oppor-tunity to leverage their appeal and expand theirsuccess into surrounding neighborhoods that needto be strengthened. But all neighborhoods requirebasic prerequisites to be successful. These pre-requisites usually include security, good schools,commercial and governmental services, affordablehousing, access to good jobs and a living wage, and an environment that reflects and enhances thelifestyles of residents. Each city should aggres-sively work toward providing these prerequisites.

To achieve these goals, each residential neighbor-hood should have its own area plan that is coordi-nated by the city but generated from the bottomup. Each plan must be underpinned and supportedby a market study that identifies existing landuses and future land uses by parcel, changes zon-ing where required, and lays out strategies and in-centives for achieving development and redevel-opment goals. Each neighborhood has differentneeds, and the specifics of each plan will differ.For example, several low-income neighborhoodsrequire a strategy for property adjudication.


Industrial Parks and the PortThe Red River Communities are ideally locatedand equipped to continue growing as a majortransportation center and transshipment point foruse by trains, trucks, ships, and airplanes. Themarket has 16 million square feet of industrialspace, renting for about $3 to $3.50 per squarefoot. Occupancy is currently about 75 percent.Most industrial space is in Shreveport, and consid-erable land and buildings are available in parks onboth sides of the river. The cities own most indus-trial parks; the port is a public industrial develop-ment authority.

The metro area has an impressive combination ofmajor transportation systems and nodes:

• Kansas City Southern (KCS) and Union PacificClass 1 rail access;

• KCS switching yard;

• I-49 and the planned I-49 extension;

• I-20 and I-220;

• Planned I-69;

The Red River RailroadBridge is a testament

to the multimodal natureof the transportation

system in Shreveport and Bossier City.


• Shreveport Regional Airport;

• Port of Shreveport-Bossier; and

• Shreveport Downtown Airport (adjacent toAgurs Business Park).

The metro area also has an abundance of indus-trial parks that are well located, with ample unde-veloped land to serve the needs of the communityfor many years:

• West Shreveport Industrial Park;

• North Shreveport Industrial Park;

• Shreve Park Industrial Campus;

• Bossier Industrial Park;

• Agurs Business Park;

• Freestate Industrial Park;

• Shreveport Airport Regional Airport Park; and

• Slack Industrial Park (privately owned).

To be successful going forward, the following ac-tions should be taken:

• Jointly market the metro area’s publicly ownedindustrial parks.

• Better identify themes or types of uses in dif-ferent locations based on accessibility and prox-imity to affinity industries; aggressively directpotential tenants to appropriate sites, no matterwhich park those sites are located in.

• Accommodate future expansion at the port tothe east and west, so that it becomes not only aplace for receiving materials but also a place forexporting products. Expansion to the west willprovide a link to the KCS class 1 rail line, whichwill facilitate NAFTA (North American Free

Key industrial parks.


Trade Agreement) trade opportunities. Expan-sion should avoid conflicts with other land usesin the future.

• Link industrial uses with local educational insti-tutions, Barksdale AFB, and other institutionsto create synergy.

• Market the port as a better strategic locationfor major port facilities in the Gulf Coast region,a location outside the major hurricane areas.

Barksdale Air Force BaseBarksdale AFB is home to the Eighth Air Force,the 2nd Bomb Wing, and the 917th Wing AirWing. Home of the “Deuce” and the “MightyEighth,” Barksdale serves as a primary locationfor active B-52 bombers and reserve attack air-craft and as the strategic and administrative cen-ter for one of only three numbered Air Forceswithin Air Combat Command. The technology and information resources of the air wings andheadquarters operation constitute an economicand intellectual community that must be lever-aged. Around the country, cities with militarybases are attempting to forge links between thetechnology of the base and the private sector.

In order to keep Barksdale as an economic engine,the panel recommends the following actions:

• Identify an individual or organization to act as the lead for both cities in their dealings withthe base.

• Continue to make the installation part of theRed River Communities’ future.

• Involve the commander, tenant commands,planners, and facility managers in decisions thatcould affect Barksdale in the near term.

• Encourage and participate in updating the JointLand Use Study that is being pursued by thebase managers.

• Abide by the recommendations of the Air In-stallations Compatible Use Zones (AICUZ) re-garding noise and accident potential zones.

• Recognizing that no change is planned for oper-ations at Barksdale, begin a dialogue that will

prepare the community for life beyond the B-52.Prepare an outline of a marketing plan that canleverage the current knowledge base, technolo-gies, and secure location to attract additionalmissions, product lines, and technologies. Deter-mine what other components of the Air CombatCommand and other major commands can relo-cate to the area.

• Engage major stakeholders at the local, state,and federal levels (read: members of Congress)to move new military and civilian missions toBarksdale and the immediate area.

Historic Preservation, Arts, and Cultural ContributionsTo diversify its tourist attractions, the citiesshould improve the visibility of the arts commu-nity and strengthen access to the cities’ historiccharacter. This class of activities is likely to at-tract visitors who are looking for experiences inaddition to gaming and could result in longer visi-tor stays and improved quality of development inthe historic core.

Historic PreservationEven a casual visitor to the area will be struck by the presence of many fine historic buildings,though many are boarded up and deteriorating.Some are literally empty facades, while others appear to be in sound condition but unused. Thewest edge of the Texas Street corridor downtownis beginning to see adaptive use as an arts and cul-tural district, which is to be applauded and sup-ported vigorously. In other districts and corridorsthe remaining building stock is in severe danger ofbeing lost forever, as much of it already has been.

The preservation of historic structures is, in andof itself, a worthy goal, because such structuresare touchstones to our collective past and are,frankly, not duplicable today at any cost. Simplyput, once they are gone, they are gone forever.Adaptive use of architecturally interesting build-ings in the mixed-use building typologies that con-tribute so strongly to a sense of place can be verylucrative for developers. This has been proven incities large and small across the country, thoughoften governmental incentives are needed to get


the process started and to maintain the momen-tum of development.

The existence of such renovated structures in a vibrant, mixed-use downtown area is a strongdraw for downtown and hospitality workers,young professionals, empty nesters, and, in par-ticular, the mobile knowledge workers called thecreative class, who can live anywhere around thecountry and who are so highly sought by all com-munities. The preferred building types featurehigh ceilings, large windows, wooden floors, visi-ble ductwork, piping, and wiring, and wide openareas with minimal walls. These structures arecost-effective though not inexpensive to renovate.Examples of highly desired mixed uses are resi-dential lofts above retail, live-work spaces, officelofts, galleries, performance spaces, restaurants,and cafés. Adding culture and the arts to the mixbrings additional economic benefits in terms ofquality-of-life enhancement for all citizens and accelerated tourism generation.

The panel was not made aware of any historicpreservation organization in the region, so thefirst, short-term goal is to create one.

Historic preservation alliance. Create a nonprofithistoric preservation alliance, encompassing con-cerned citizens, property owners, architects, de-velopers, investors, lenders, artists, and membersof the media. The initial objectives of the preser-vation alliance, which is a long-term organization,should include the following:

• Creating an inventory of historic structures andneighborhoods, starting with the Texas Streetcorridor on both sides of the Red River and theLedbetter Heights area;

• Raising funds to perform emergency preserva-tion measures, such as roof repair;

• Researching and disseminating information onstate and federal historic, low-income, and newmarkets tax credits, as well as promoting his-toric tax abatements to community develop-ment groups, for-profit developers, and the rele-vant governmental authorities;

• Raising awareness throughout the communityof the importance of and obligation to achievepreservation;

The historic buildings in downtown Shreveportoffer excellent opportuni-ties for more vibranturban living.


• Creating an awards program for well-conceivedand -achieved projects;

• Building alliances with arts pioneers and groupsas well as commercial tenants to use revitalizedstructures; and

• Designing, financing, and developing catalyticprojects, in concert with such groups as theStrategic Action Committee and FAME, suchas those proposed in the Organizational Leader-ship section of this report

Historic preservation ordinance. A medium-termgoal to be pursued by the preservation alliance isthe creation and adoption of a historic preservationordinance by all the municipal governments af-fected. For the purposes of simplicity and regionalunity, the ordinance should be the same in all mu-nicipalities in the area, because the issues are iden-tical. The ordinances will require protection forhistoric structures and areas, making it less easyfor property owners to demolish historic struc-tures and requiring at least minimum upkeep toprevent the buildings from becoming endangered.Many municipalities have preservation ordinances

that work very well in accomplishing these pur-poses and can serve as guides for the creation ofstrong, equitable ordinances in this region.

Historic districts. A second medium-term goal isthe identification, through the proposed inventory,of appropriate historic districts and their subse-quent recognition by city, state, and federal au-thorities. The creation of historic districts, ofwhich the Red River Communities could have sev-eral, simplifies the process of securing tax creditsand abatements. It also leads to the creation ofstrong property owner groups within each dis-trict, which could lobby the appropriate city for aprotective overlay district or could build consen-sus for the voluntary adoption of districtwide deedrestrictions that achieve similar purposes.

Historic preservation. The long-term goal, whichby definition the region must begin work on im-mediately, is the preservation of every structureconsidered historic as well as those that will attainthat distinction with the passage of time. Thisdoes not imply that every building existing todayshould qualify for historic structure designationand protection from demolition. In fact, many ex-

Many buildings can be renovated to help reinvent downtown.


isting old buildings are functionally obsolete,using land inefficiently and detrimentally to the course of redevelopment. There are well-established guidelines, put forth by the U.S. Department of the Interior as well as local juris-dictions, for the qualification of areas and struc-tures for historic tax credits and abatements.These guidelines can provide a ready guide tounderstanding the preservation value of individ-ual properties and districts.

Arts and CultureAdvancement of the arts and culture can often belinked with the preservation and adaptive use ofhistoric structures in a mutually synergistic way.The Shreveport/Bossier City region has done anadmirable job of reinvigorating the existing his-toric infrastructure to promote these essential ele-ments of what is called quality of life, but it hasnot fully taken into consideration the necessity forclustering that is so vital to the long-term viabilityof these structures.

Although the Strand Theater and Municipal Audi-torium is somewhat isolated, thereby raising is-sues of security, the renovation of the buildingsuccessfully pays tribute not only to the historicvalue of the building but also to the productionsand performers who have appeared there over thelong course of the building’s existence and whocontinue to perform there. The current offeringscontribute to the richness of daily life and culturaltourism, as well as paying homage to the legends,such as the Louisiana Hayride radio show, thatare part of the history of this place. Dedicatedsupport groups, such as FAME (the Foundationfor Arts, Music & Entertainment), should be ap-plauded and supported as they seek to broadenthe appeal and offerings of these facilities and sur-rounding areas.

The presence of museums in the historic buildings,such as the Antique & Classic Vehicle Museumand the Spring Street Museum, is augmented bythe development of new, purpose-built attractionsnearby, such as Sci-Port and the Army Corps ofEngineers Regional Visitors Center. All con-tribute to the sense (and reality) of the collectivedowntown as more than a central business districtthat rolls up the pavement at 5:01 p.m. each day.

A particularly intriguing congregation of reno-vated and current reuse projects is beginning toform a small cultural district on Texas Street nearthe First United Methodist Church. In what iscalled the West Edge in the Downtown 2010 Re-development Strategy plan, the number of smallto medium-sized installations is beginning to reachcritical mass, though public and private support isstill critical to ensure the survival of these facili-ties. These entrepreneurial and nonprofit endeav-ors, such as the ArtSpace multidisciplinary artcenter, Tipitina’s Music Coop, and Odyssey SoundLab, are soon to be joined by the Robinson FilmCenter, currently under construction, and theRiver City Repertory Theatre, currently in thefundraising stage. These facilities should be sur-rounded, sooner rather than later, by the ancillarydevelopment of loft residential and office uses,restaurants, and cafés, that will help enrich peo-ple’s experience of the area.

The Strand Theater is thefocus of the resurgenceof cultural activities indowntown Shreveport.


Across the Red River, the Old Bossier MunicipalBuilding has been adaptively used and expandedby the Bossier Arts Council into the East BankTheatre and Gallery. Tying both cities together isa particularly impressive series of large-scale wallmurals, creating a continuous thread of public artalong Texas Street and through the heart of theregion. Throughout the united urban core are in-stalled numerous impressive statues, sculptures,and amenities, such as the metal flowers sculp-ture, amphitheater, and fountains at the newRiverfront Park. Gateway monuments areplanned as well.

Taken individually, pieces of public art may notmake much of a statement, but taken as a whole, a well-planned and well-maintained program ofpublic art makes a grand statement about a com-munity’s view of itself as a creative, culturally at-tuned place. This is an excellent message to de-liver to residents, who will come to their unifieddowntown ever more frequently for work or forshopping, dining, gaming, or performances. It isalso an excellent message to deliver to the grow-ing number of tourists from other regions who willvisit for conventions, gambling, recreation, or cul-tural tourism. With historic preservation, the artsand culture form the bedrock on which efforts toretain and attract creative class workers arebased. The panel cannot emphasize enough thatthe positive efforts already undertaken and futureinitiatives to promote historic preservation, res-toration, and adaptive use, as well as arts and cul-tural manifestations, will enrich the region far be-yond the dollar investments required.

Regional arts congress. As a starting point to fur-ther the aims of arts and culture development, ashort-term implementation goal is this: Hold a regional arts congress to assess the state of thearts, build alliances between organizations andartists, and start the process of creating a regionalalliance to promote cooperative funding and mar-keting mechanisms. The arts congress should becomposed of existing nonprofit and for-profit orga-nizations such as the Shreveport Regional ArtsCouncil, the Bossier Arts Council, FAME, the mu-seums, theater groups, the film center, gallerymanagers and owners, the new sound stage com-pany across from the Shreveport casinos, the Red

River Entertainment District, and individualartists and cultural providers across the broadestspectrum possible.

Regional arts and cultural alliance. A medium-term goal, to come out of the arts congress, is tocreate a truly regional arts and cultural alliance to promote cooperative funding and marketingmechanisms for all nonprofit and for-profit indi-viduals and groups. Speaking with a united voicein marketing offerings to the local populace and tovisitors should improve attendance at all venues,which in turn automatically helps resolve the con-stant funding issues that arts venues and artistsalways struggle with. Also, the potential exists totap into new governmental funding resources,such as a portion of the hotel tax, which funds thearts in many municipalities. The regional struc-ture is essential to continue the panel’s theme ofbuilding bridges. Strengthening the arts and cul-ture of the region will improve the self-image ofthe population and enhance the viability of thearea for tourism, thus increasing the revenuesthat fund the hotel tax.

Shreveport’s Historic Music Village. Another goal isto assess the capacity of FAME to create Shreve-port’s Historic Music Village, with its attendanthistoric restoration, historic appreciation, musicalheritage, and digital media features. The village isproposed to be located in the Ledbetter Heightsneighborhood. If necessary, FAME should createan alliance with other groups to put this plan intoaction. Considerable worthy effort has gone intothis plan, and there is much in it that the panel ap-plauds, but it is likely that a considerably largeralliance will be required to bring about the ambi-tious arts and real estate components. The fundbeing sponsored by the Strategic Action Commit-tee could well be the financial backbone for a mul-tiphased, multianchored, long-term redevelop-ment effort in Ledbetter Heights and the BlueGoose neighborhood.

Outdoor RecreationThe opportunities to build on the richness of theland and waters in the region are apparent but not fully realized. Local residents enjoy the Red River and Cross Lake for boating and fishing. On


a sunny day, the riverfront park is full of familieswith small children enjoying the fountains; thetrails along both sides of the river are enjoyeddaily by walkers, runners, and bikers. Those as-sets provide a glimpse of the opportunities to en-gage both residents and growing numbers of visi-tors in this obvious but often taken for grantedresource. As the region develops, if the natural as-sets are not valued, explicitly identified, and pro-tected, their full potential will be wasted.

Bossier City has done an excellent comprehensiveplan, in which significant areas are identified asopen space and floodplains as well as traditionalsports parks. Shreveport has not done a masterplan for at least 20 years, but a few years ago aprivate group developed a plan called “The Stringof Pearls” that proposed a comprehensive trailssystem connecting the Medical Center, universi-ties, parks, and neighborhoods throughout thecity. Building on these two efforts, with vision andleadership, the region can protect its natural re-

sources and develop them as a major competitiveadvantage and as a quality-of-life choice.

The following actions should happen:

• A combined overlay map of both plans shouldbecome the basis for public discussion.

• A parks conservancy should be created and empowered to develop the regional recreationplan. This organization would not have respon-sibility for local municipal parks.

• An explicit funding source should be identifiedto provide predictable resources to develop andmaintain the parks.

• Both parishes should provide protection so thatthe waterfronts continue to be accessible to thepublic.

Cleveland, Denver, and a host of other cities aregood models to follow.

Outdoor recreation areas.


The ability of Shreveport and Bossier City tobecome a vibrant, viable, and diverse eco-nomic region will depend in large measureon the actions taken by their leaders. The

following section outlines specific actions that canbe undertaken to achieve the recommendations of this panel report.

Organizational LeadershipLeaders should focus first on taking care of localneeds and then on acting regionally. However, onseveral occasions the panel was struck by a lackof sensitivity to the Red River Communities’ re-gional nature and to the potential for leveragingit. The panel observed that the community is pe-nalizing itself through lack of coordination andthrough competition in efforts to grow each cityand the region, resulting in a drain of energy andpotential. The overriding theme in responses tothe interview question about what people wishedfor was more collaborative leadership in econo-mic development.

Economic development requires both organiza-tion and leadership. This report has emphasizedthe need for a master plan to inform and shapethe physical development of a city. But the best-crafted master plan in the world cannot create asense of place in its inanimate form. Just as thewords articulating the vision need to be drawnfrom a wide cross-section of stakeholders, peopleare needed to breathe life into a master plan.Without individuals and organizations that under-stand, are committed to, and are empowered toimplement the vision, the best master plan willremain a document on a shelf. People do the workof economic development. It can truly be said thateconomic development is “of the people, by thepeople, and for the people.”

Cities are a reflection of the people who live,work, and play within their boundaries. The com-

munity’s self-perception will project the city’s cul-ture to outsiders and to newcomers. The attitudesof those one encounters when visiting a city sendinherent messages, whether delivered throughverbal or nonverbal cues. Therefore, the city’s cul-ture is the foundation of its external reputationand it must be understood and managed.

Culture can create the physical space of a city, andthe physical space in a city can influence its cul-ture. The influence of the human psyche on deci-sion making regarding land use cannot be under-estimated. The attitudes and perceptions of theindividuals in a city cause them to make judg-ments about what will and what will not work,where to build or not, where to work or not,where to play or not, and where is safe or not.These judgments may not be based in reality. Individual judgments turn into the decisionsmade by the groups and organizations to whichthe individuals belong. As newcomers are inte-grated, a cycle occurs that can be positive or neg-ative depending on the particular judgment.

The Red River Communities present an interest-ing case in this regard because two cities withsomewhat different cultures are attempting tocombine efforts for economic development. Yetthere is much similarity in their cultures, despitethe apparent differences in demography and in-come. “Southern hospitality and heritage run deepin the soul of these two cities,” as stated on theRed River Communities website, and there is acertain relaxed sense of being in a small town. Al-most every interviewee indicated that the geo-graphic boundaries of the physical systems of thetwo cities were for formal political and legal pur-poses of governing and that the human system,the individuals living and working in both Shreve-port and Bossier City, considers the two citiesmore as “communities rather than cities.” This isnot to say that there are not differences. BossierCity, “spunky and proud,” no longer wants to be

Implementation


“the stepsister or afterthought” to Shreveportand has taken on an entrepreneurial, can-do atti-tude, though residents nonetheless often think ofBossier City as the “little sister.” Shreveport isproud of its history yet hampered by its aware-ness that it is only as strong as its weakest link.

The panel notes that the Red River Communitiessuffer from an inferiority complex, a focus onweaknesses instead of strengths. Citizens, busi-ness owners, and officials have a sense that thecities are not good enough. There is a critical needto come together in partnership to ensure thatthe image that the Red River Communities pro-ject accurately reflects the reality of the area in2006. Partnership will be equally important forhelping residents to stop viewing the region as avictim of circumstance. The spirit of willingness is pervasive, but the flesh of action is weak. It istime to harness the energy that abounds withinthe communities.

Economic development initiatives cannot suc-ceed unless the city’s quality-of-life issues are addressed. Quality of life comprises factors thatrelate to health, education, housing, welfare, andsafety. It also requires attention to the sustain-ability factors of environment, arts, culture, andrecreation. There is a direct correlation betweensuccessful economic development and improve-ment in quality of life. The panel believes that the Red River Communities must address theseissues to enhance the region’s desirability and itsprospects for economic development. Interview-ees spoke both positively and critically on the cur-rent quality of life in the Red River Communities.The ease of living in the communities was laudedby all. Many noted that many neighborhoods hadbeen “looked through,” while some went as far asto comment that the “polarization of housing is insane.” A recurrent theme was the quality of education, both of children and for the workforcein the city.

CollaborationCommitted civic groups with community, busi-ness, and nonprofit leaders have demonstrated a desire to maximize the possibilities of the RedRiver Communities. These groups include peopleand organizations who were committed enoughto “put their money where their mouth is.” The

breadth and depth of support are evident in thesponsorship of the ULI Advisory Panel: of the 26 groups involved, no single group contributedmore than 20 percent of the underwriting of thecosts and the private sector sponsors jointly con-tributed more than 60 percent of the costs. Thisis to be celebrated. The region has all the ingre-dients for inclusivity and partnering. Its variouslong-tenured communities are represented by atleast 64 neighborhood associations. This diverse setof community and neighborhood groups is eager towork with the administration of the Red RiverCommunities to maximize the region’s possibilities.

Now is the time to bring the community together,heal its old wounds, boost its confidence, and moveforward toward a common future. This processwill help the region develop a winning communityspirit. Bringing the community together can hap-pen only by leveraging the perspectives of every-one who lives and works in the Red River Com-munities. Collaboration and relationship buildingwill help position the region and defeat many ofthe negative perceptions. To accomplish this, theregion must come to grips with its public image.

Interviewees expressed a real concern for, butmost importantly a commitment to, improving theeconomic future of the Red River Communities asa region. They cited workforce development,transportation, taxation, social disparity, and thequality of education as the primary issues to ad-dress in order to transform the region. They alsoexpressed the belief that securing greater statesupport would require that the Red River Com-munities be consistent in its approach to the stategovernment and have a unified plan and agreed-onlist of priorities, given the competing needs insouthern Louisiana since Hurricane Katrina.

The local perception is that the public and privatesectors cannot work together to achieve economicdevelopment goals. Yet there are examples of collaboration in activities such as transportationplanning. Throughout the panel’s week-long visit,panel members heard recurring themes of exclu-sion of the rank-and-file public from the city’s decision-making processes. Nearly every con-stituency believed that there was limited oppor-tunity for providing meaningful input or receivingattention in economic development activities. The


gap in trust between government, business own-ers, and residents creates a roadblock to invest-ment in the region.

The rest of this section outlines two initiativesthat are intended to increase community partici-pation and inclusion. The first, which we call RedRiver Communities 20/20, is an ongoing commit-ment to broaden public participation and the in-clusion of the region’s constituents. The secondbrings the region’s corporate and private sectorleaders together in an ongoing consortium of keyleaders that we call One Voice on One Vision. Thisconsortium should advise the city, foster regionalcooperation, and present a unified voice and visionfor economic development policy and initiatives.

Short-Term Action Item: Red River Communities 20/20The Red River Communities 20/20 partnershipprocess seeks to create a platform for genuinecommunity outreach and involvement, with theend goals of economic development and enhancedquality of life, by creating a culture of collabora-tion and pride. It is in bringing people together to address the community’s demands that peoplebegin talking to each other and that they sellthemselves to themselves. The function of RedRiver Communities 20/20 is to provide communityparticipation in economic development and othercity processes, with the goal of increasing aware-ness of opportunities and desire to take advantageof those opportunities. The partnership process is a symbolic joining of the cities and parishes with their citizens to ensure an inclusive decision-making process that creates the foundation forone voice or one vision for the development of the region. The goal is to provide a forum in which,through a series of summits and events, peoplewho work, live, and play in the Red River Com-munities can:

• Connect and learn about each other’s neighbor-hoods, organizations, and businesses;

• Identify needs and desires for the future of the region;

• Understand the inventory of assets alreadyabundant within the region; and

• Openly tackle the challenges that everyone perceives so that participants can celebrate the strengths of their communities from a per-spective based on realities.

Step 1: Disseminate the panel’s findings. The spon-sors of the Advisory Panel should meet and draft asummary of the findings of the panel. It should bemade public and posted on the websites of thecities and other sponsoring entities as appropriate.

Step 2: Host a Red River Communities 20/20 summit.The partnership should be started by a day- orweekend-long summit convened by either themayors or an independent third party such asAmerica Speaks. This summit should take placewithin 60 days of this report’s publication. Par-ticipants should include a variety of constituentsfrom across the region, similar in scope to thecross-section of stakeholders interviewed by theULI panel. Neighborhood action councils, commu-nity development councils, business leaders, reli-gious leaders, arts and entertainment groups, andthe general public should be invited. Attendanceshould be mandatory for all political leaders, in-cluding elected city council members, appointedcity board members, and state delegates. The goalis to come together and begin the process of build-ing consensus on what the Red River Communi-ties want to become. Each participating organiza-tion should prepare organizational goals, acti-vities, and concerns to share with others.

The summit has three principal goals. First is todiscuss this report with the citizens of the RedRiver Communities. Second is for the assembledgroup to outline the economic development andquality-of-life goals and concerns of the citizens. A written report should be circulated by the con-vening group. The individual communities mayalso wish to draft or revise agency mission state-ments that reflect the outcome of the summit.Third is to settle on a format for community inputinto master planning, visioning, and economic de-velopment goal setting. The community partici-pants may decide to hold workshops, public hear-ings, or town halls or to conduct charettes orsurveys, or to use other public involvement tools.An important part of this goal is to raise the pro-file of the neighborhood- and community-based or-ganizations; these groups should play a substantial


role in the summit and in future events involvingthe public.

Red River Communities 20/20 is not a new agencyor entity. It is a commitment between the corpo-rate, public, nonprofit, and private sectors to cometogether on a regular basis to share ideas and de-velop a clear vision of mutual concerns. The panelhopes that the summit will help resolve any griev-ances that citizens of the Red River Communitiesharbor. Further, the panel hopes that the public in-terest and involvement seen during the panel visitwill carry over into the series of public events heldunder the auspices of Red River Communities20/20. The region’s governments should be proac-tive in soliciting the input of the entire community,which will help build community consensus.

Regional Leadership CouncilThe panel proposes a regional leadership councilto help foster a coordinated approach to communi-cations among the jurisdictions. This regionalleadership council will act as the clearinghouse forall Red River Communities initiatives. The RedRiver Communities 20/20 summit will be thestarting point for the council’s deliberations.

Mid-Term Action Item: One Voice, One VisionTo begin to address the region’s needs, corporateleaders proposed initiating a dialogue between themayors and state leaders through the creation of a corporate leadership roundtable, similar to asuccessful initiative implemented in Bridgeport,Connecticut. This roundtable should be a strongregional council consisting of committed leadersfrom the private sector who have clear authorityto represent their organizations and constituen-cies. Working with the mayors and parish admini-strations of the region’s urban core, the councilshould seek to achieve consensus on common re-gional strategies and priorities for economic devel-opment. The council also may choose to commit itscollective financial, time, and staff resources toachieving these priorities.

This regional leadership council should advise and inform the mayors on their ongoing efforts to reorganize the Red River Communities’ eco-nomic development organizations by clearly de-fining roles, eliminating competing priorities, and

consolidating responsibilities. The council canwork to identify and prioritize the objectives ofthe region’s economic development plan and canmaintain focus and momentum without regard forelection cycles.

In the interviews, corporate leaders said that thedevelopment of a consensus plan is essential to securing continued state investment in the RedRiver Communities. Such a plan—when presentedto state legislators and private sector decisionmakers—will clearly demonstrate the region’sunity and its commitment to achieving economicdevelopment goals. The region’s corporate leaderscan likely connect with state lawmakers and agen-cies in a different way than local government lead-ers can. Therefore, a major goal of the leadershipcouncil is to work with the state government torepair state-city relationships and move forwardinto a new era of cooperation.

The ULI panel recommends the establishment ofthis regional leadership council within 90 days ofthis report’s publication. The council will immedi-ately begin work to provide a vision and direc-tion for the development and implementation of a comprehensive agenda for regional economicdevelopment. Three organizations already inplace should be incorporated into this council. The Strategic Action Council is a self-anointedgroup of seven organizations that came togetherfollowing the Belden-Daniels study of economicdevelopment needs; it has developed excellentstrategies that need to be acted on. This grouprecognizes the need to create a broader con-stituency of stakeholders. The second group is the Northwest Louisiana Council of Governments.The third group is the Consortium for Researchand Technology, which provides an excellentmodel for regional collaboration. A select numberof citizens groups should also be included.

The council leaders must identify champions invarious arenas that require ongoing advocacy: education, workforce training, business, arts andentertainment, and environmental quality. Theseindividuals will serve as the go-to people, commit-ting their passion to ensuring a holistic approachand adding their insights to inform the vision forthe Red River Communities. For example, afford-able housing provision and neighborhood revital-

ization must be championed by someone withknowledge of and connection to the housing sector.Ensuring quality education (K–16) in all neighbor-hoods will be a critical role of the council; this ef-fort could be championed by the Consortium forResearch and Technology.

Leveling the Social Playing Field:Implementation StrategyIn order for the Red River Communities to growin a coordinated, unified fashion, it is imperative to consistently ensure that people in traditionallydisadvantaged groups—specifically, minorities,women, and locally based businesses—participatesignificantly in future development opportunities.The following sections outline an approach to ad-dressing this concern.

Construction Initiatives to EncourageParticipationThe development of a business participationmodel for minority business enterprises, women-owned business enterprises, and locally basedbusiness enterprises (MBE, WBE, and LBE, orMWLBE collectively) needs attention. The localmunicipal governments have promoted a FairShare business program, which has garneredsome success in ensuring the participation of dis-advantaged businesses in economic developmentinitiatives. However, there is an opportunity tocapitalize on targeted segments of the commu-nity that are not captured in this program. Cre-ating initiatives to spur the development ofMWLBEs is a means to ensure that within thecategory of disadvantaged businesses, thesethree categories of businesses obtain targetedparticipation in new initiatives.

Short-term goal. Develop enhanced strategies for significant MBE/WBE participation in con-struction and real estate development programs.This should be accomplished through legislativechanges to Fair Share requirements to include aMWBE focus, to encourage the development ofthese businesses. Responses to public requests forproposals (RFPs) that comply with the guidelinesfor MBE/WBE participation should get moreweight in the selection process. More weight can

also be given to respondents who use MWBEs lo-cated in certain economic development regions.

Mid-term goal. Determine whether the establishedgoals are being met, then recalibrate the programto address whether the goals should be increasedor decreased.

Development Plans: Ledbetter Heights and Allandale The Red River Communities need to developmethods to encourage the development of histori-cally African American communities such as Led-better Heights and Allandale. A strategic planneeds to be created for the development of theseareas, one that can catalyze long-term sustainedcommunity development, to make these communi-ties both more livable for their residents and moreappealing destinations for visitors and tourists.

Short-term goal. Begin the process of establishingparticipation goals within the contracting and sub-contracting industries. Develop a certificationprocess, modeled after federal and other success-ful municipal programs that require minority andwomen ownership of firms to compete on MWBEprojects. Establish participation goals to be imple-mented over designated time frames. Establish aset of aggregate goals for MWBE participation.

Mid-term goal. Analyze the success rate of pro-gress toward participation goals. Determinewhether the established goals are being met, andwhether they should be increased or decreased atthis point. Evaluate whether targeted goals are inline with local and national projections. Establishwhether members of designated groups believethat local government is doing all it can to fairlyencourage the participation of these groups.

Construction Mentorship ProgramMWLBEs should be encouraged to participate in construction and development opportunitiesthrough a mentorship program. This programshould be created in such a way that small firmslacking experience, capacity, and depth could bementored by more established, larger firms (gen-erally majority firms). This program could besponsored by a regional governmental agency re-sponsible for approving development projects.Where private developers are performing work,



regional authorizing entities should award work,in part, on the basis of those developers’ proposalsto involve MWLBEs as key players.

Short-term goal. Establish a framework for incor-porating MWLBE participation in constructionand economic development initiatives. Develop acertification process so that only certified MBEs,WBEs, and LBEs are authorized to be designatedas firms in these respective categories. Establishparticipation goals that are scaled for the region inall possible trades.

Mid-term goal. Establish specific time frame goalsfor completion and graduation from the mentor-ship program. Ensure that the first MBE/WBEfirms graduate from the mentorship programwithin the specified time frame. Permit successfulgraduates to participate in a large-scale project

such as those that might contribute to the broadergoals of the regional leadership council.

Artistic and Cultural InclusionThe region’s stakeholders should work to createartistic and cultural centers that focus on the legacies of the African American, Native Ameri-can, and general historical sectors. These traditional communities should be made intohistorical districts.

Short-term goal. Host a summit to determine theinterest in, appropriate membership of, and likelysponsors of a series of artistic and cultural centersthat focus on the African American, Native Amer-ican, and general history of the Red River Com-munities. Determine an approach to providing areliable funding stream for such centers.

Shotgun-style homesdominate the LedbetterHeights neighborhood.Re-creation of this indige-nous housing style canhelp revitalize Shreveport.


ing sources are available for buyers in older, at-risk neighborhoods such as Ledbetter Heightsand Old Bossier, and these sources will reduce riskeven further. The specific sites chosen by each cityshould be easily obtainable (not encumbered) andshould have good access to jobs and transporta-tion. The projects should be built on a scale atwhich the developer can provide necessary ser-vices and amenities if they are not available. Spe-cial Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac, and Federal Hous-ing Administration financing of nearly 100 percentof project cost is available at favorable terms. Forlower-income purchasers, specialty financingmakes the projects even more doable. They cantap into a variety of local, state, and federal finan-cing assistance plans. Creation of diverse, mixed-income neighborhoods is the future of urban de-velopment, and the panel believes that a marketfor such projects exists today.

Schedule for Projects 1 and 2:

November 2006 (6 months)Identify site

April 2007 (1 year)Issue RFP and select developer

April 2008 (2 years)Begin construction

April 2011 (5 years)100 units sold and occupied

Project 3: Mixed-Use Historic PreservationProjectThe panel believes that Shreveport should de-velop a mixed-use project in an adaptively usedhistoric commercial building in the Texas Streetcorridor downtown. The project should include aminimum of 50 to 100 units of rental housing onthe upper floors and retail, dining, and entertain-ment uses on the ground floor. A project of thissize is needed to attract a developer and to makeongoing management feasible without requiring alocal subsidy. The project can be financed with amix of low-income tax credits, historic tax credits,and new markets tax credits (if 20 percent of theproject is nonresidential). The project should betargeted to a mix of empty nesters, military re-tirees, casino workers, artists and musicians, and

Mid-term goal. Create historical tax credit benefitsfor the redevelopment of the physical aspects ofthese communities.

Long-term goal. Set a goal that at least half thesecommunities will be completed as restored his-toric communities, with residential, commercial,and cultural venues to be supported by residentsand tourists.

Development Projects To help Shreveport and Bossier City begin theprocess of rebranding the cities as the Red RiverCommunities, the panel suggests that they under-take specific development projects. The panel haschosen four projects that the cities can beginworking on immediately and complete in the nextfew years. They are two mixed-income housingcommunities, one mixed-use historic preservationproject, and one public infrastructure project.

The three real estate projects were chosen be-cause they are prototypes of the kind of develop-ment that the central areas of both cities need butthat are currently not being built. Each should bedesigned to be the centerpiece and anchor for itsdistrict and carefully linked with surrounding ac-tivities to encourage spin-off development. Thesuccess of these projects will help establish a mar-ket and track record for additional construction ofthe same types, construction that is desperatelyneeded to reestablish the urban core of the regionas a desirable place to live. The fourth project is apedestrian bridge that is designed to connect thetwo sides of the Red River, unifying the region’stwo-city downtown for the first time and support-ing its revitalization.

Project 1 and Project 2: Mixed-Income Housing CommunitiesProject 1 is adjacent to downtown Shreveport;project 2 is adjacent to the Boardwalk in BossierCity. The panel believes that each city has the op-portunity to develop a mixed-income residentialcommunity of at least 100 units at a variety ofprice points. Care should be taken to target andattract a diverse group of buyers, in terms of so-cioeconomic status and race, to these communi-ties. This will ensure that the units sell faster andwith less risk to the

AN ADVISORY SERVICES PANEL REPORT Shreveport/BossierCity … · 2020. 7. 9. · Shreveport/Bossier...

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