[StBernard] More than 23,000 Citizens "Weigh-In"; Robin Rather to Present Complete Results and Analysis

[Westley Annis]

More Than 23,000 Citizens 'Weigh In' on South Louisiana's Regional Vision
Robin Rather to Present Complete Results and Analysis on March 27th 

BATON ROUGE, La. (March 16, 2007) - Louisiana Speaks
<http://www.louisianaspeaks.org>  today announced more than 23,000 citizens
weighed in on South Louisiana's Regional Vision, including 1,200 responses
from residents living in 32 different states. 

"While we haven't finished counting all of the responses yet, we are
thrilled to report that tens of thousands of citizens took time out of their
own personal recoveries to speak up for South Louisiana," said Donna
Fraiche, Chair of the Louisiana Recovery Authority's Long-Term Planning Task
Force. "This level of participation is unprecedented, and it tells us that
Louisianians want a vision for our long-term recovery and future growth." 

Louisiana Speaks <http://www.louisianaspeaks.org>  recently concluded an
extensive public outreach campaign to engage citizens across South Louisiana
on a range of issues including community growth, transportation, coastal
protection and economic development. From January 22 through February 10,
citizens had an opportunity to weigh in through paper "ballots," an online
poll or phone survey. 

"Through thousands of newsletters and e-mails, hundreds of TV, print and
radio advertisements, dozens of public meetings, and more than 50 broadcasts
of a one hour TV special, we exhausted every medium to engage citizens in
this process. Never before, have so many public, private, civic and
faith-based organizations come together to make it possible for citizens to
engage in planning for the future of our region," said Elizabeth "Boo"
Thomas, President of the Center for Planning Excellence (CPEX)
<http://www.planningexcellence.org> . "To each and every one of our
champions and outreach partners, and to all the citizens who participated,
we say thank you!" 

Robin Rather, President and CEO of Collective Strength
<http://www.collectivestrength.com> , the research consulting firm that is
collecting responses, will present complete results and analysis at a press
conference at 2:00 pm Tuesday, March 27, in the Louisiana Boardroom of the
Baton Rouge Community College, which is located at 5310 Florida Boulevard in
Baton Rouge. 

"Although we don't have the final numbers yet, it appears that Louisiana
Speaks has just concluded one of the largest and most inclusive regional
planning outreach campaigns ever conducted in the United States," said
Rather. "The number of responses that have been received to date far exceeds
similar efforts conducted in other parts of the US, including the long-term
planning outreach initiative conducted in New York after September 11th." 

Robin Rather to Present Complete Results & Analysis on Regional Survey 
Tuesday, March 27, 2007 2:00 pm 
Baton Rouge Community College- Louisiana Boardroom 
5310 Florida Boulevard 
Baton Rouge, LA

Louisiana Speaks is a long-term planning initiative of the Louisiana
Recovery Authority (LRA) <http://www.lra.louisiana.gov/>  that is supported
with private funds provided through the LRA Support Foundation
<http://www.lrasupportfoundation.org/site/c.gtJVJdMRIsE/b.1202087/k.BEDC/Hom
e.htm> . Center for Planning Excellence (CPEX)
<http://www.planningexcellence.org> , which was created to serve as a
resource for residents, community organizations, developers and elected
officials to provide information on best practices for planning and urban
design, also provides support and management for the Louisiana Speaks
initiative. 

Collective Strength <http://www.collectivestrength.com>  is a consulting
firm based in Austin, Texas that specializes in research and planning.
Collective Strength <http://www.collectivestrength.com>  provided overall
project management for the 2006 Recovery Survey and continues to provide
support and consulting services to Louisiana Speaks. 

The responses generated from this unprecedented, privately-funded outreach
campaign will be combined with previous citizen input as well as the ongoing
work of planners from across the region to create a regional vision for
South Louisiana. 

Spanning parishes from the Texas to Mississippi border (including the Houma/
Thibodaux, New Orleans, North Shore, Baton Rouge, Lafayette and Lake Charles
metro areas), the Louisiana Speaks Regional Vision will provide the
framework for local and parish plans to thrive in and serve as a guide for
South Louisiana's long-term recovery and future growth over the next 50
years. 

For additional information about Louisiana Speaks, visit
www.louisianaspeaks.org <http://www.louisianaspeaks.org> . Hurricanes
Katrina and Rita devastated South Louisiana, claiming 1,464 lives,
destroying more than 200,000 homes and 18,000 businesses. The LRA
<http://www.lra.louisiana.gov/>  is the planning and coordinating body that
was created in the aftermath of these storms by Governor Kathleen Babineaux
Blanco to lead one of the most extensive rebuilding efforts in the world.
The LRA <http://www.lra.louisiana.gov/>  is a 33-member body which is
coordinating across jurisdictions, supporting community recovery and
resurgence, ensuring integrity and effectiveness, and planning for the
recovery and rebuilding of Louisiana. 

Louisiana Speaks is a multifaceted planning process, endorsed by the
Louisiana Recovery Authority, to develop a sustainable, long-term vision for
South Louisiana in the wake of the destruction caused by Hurricanes Katrina
and Rita.