[StBernard] Louisiana Speaks Hits Grand Slam at State APA Planning Awards

[Westley Annis]

The Louisiana Chapter of the American Planning Association (APA)
<http://www.louisiana-apa.org/>  honored Louisiana Speaks
<http://www.louisianaspeaks.org>  with four distinguished awards that were
announced at its annual conference in New Orleans today. 


Donna Fraiche, the chair of the Louisiana Recovery Authority's (LRA) Long
Term Community Planning Task Force, received the APA's Distinguished
Leadership Award for a Citizen Planner for her work with the LRA's planning
task force and Louisiana Speaks. The APA also honored the Louisiana Speaks
Regional Plan <http://www.louisianaspeaks.org/static.html?id=161>  with its
Current Topic Award. The Louisiana Speaks Pattern Book
<http://www.louisianaspeaks.org/planning.html?c=7>  received the APA's
Public Education Award, and the Louisiana Speaks Planning Toolkit
<http://www.louisianaspeaks.org/static.html?id=87>  received the APA's
Outstanding Planning Award for a project, program or tool. 

"Louisiana Speaks and local planning efforts empowered Louisianians to speak
up about the direction of their communities and the region, making us all
citizen planners," Fraiche said. "I am humbled to be honored as part of this
effort and I know I speak for the thousands of 'citizen planners' across the
state when I say that this hard work should not sit on the shelf gathering
dust as an effort in centralized planning. With the continued support of our
partners at the APA and the Center for Planning Excellence, I am confident
we will see the recommendations of Louisiana Speaks implemented in the years
to come." 

Louisiana Speaks <http://www.louisianaspeaks.org>  is a long-term planning
initiative of the Louisiana Recovery Authority
<http://www.lra.louisiana.gov>  which was created in the wake of the
destruction caused by Hurricanes Katrina and Rita. Spanning parishes from
the Texas to Mississippi border (including the Houma/Thibodaux, New Orleans,
North Shore, Baton Rouge, Lafayette, Lake Charles, St. Bernard and
Plaquemines areas), the Louisiana Speaks Regional Plan
<http://www.louisianaspeaks.org/static.html?id=161>  provides a broad
strategic framework and priorities for land use, transportation, community
growth and economic development in South Louisiana. 

The 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, provides primary support and management for Louisiana Speaks
<http://www.louisianaspeaks.org> . 

"The Louisiana Speaks Regional Plan is validated by the voices of 27,000
Louisiana citizens. It is a unifying vision that will help guide the way to
a safer, stronger, smarter future for generations to come," said Elizabeth
"Boo" Thomas, president and CEO of CPEX. "The Louisiana Speaks Planning
Toolkit is an invaluable planning resource for communities in the region. It
ensures that Louisiana recovers sustainably, grows smarter and thinks
regionally."

Planning for the Louisiana Speaks Regional Plan
<http://www.louisianaspeaks.org/static.html?id=161>  was led by a team of
top local and national professionals, including Calthorpe Associates,
FregoneseCalthorpe Associates, Urban Design Associates, Duany Plater-Zyberk
& Company, ABMB Engineers, Inc., Brookings Institution Metropolitan Policy
Program, Brown+Danos Landdesign, Inc., Collective Strength, Kimley-Horn and
Associates, Inc., PolicyLink, Dr. Robert R. Twilley, and LSU Coastal
Louisiana Ecosystem Assesment and Restoration (CLEAR). 

The Louisiana Speaks Planning Toolkit
<http://www.louisianaspeaks.org/static.html?id=87>  is an educational
component of Louisiana Speaks <http://www.louisianaspeaks.org> . Geared
toward individual communities, it is a planning guide for rebuilding across
neighborhoods and regions that provides concise, bulleted lists for six key
planning issues: landscape and natural systems; flood, wind and storm water
management; transportation and utilities infrastructure; sustainability;
equity, accessibility and affordability; and development patterns. Created
by Urban Design Associates, the Planning Toolkit was funded through the
Louisiana Recovery Authority Support Foundation, the Fannie Mae Foundation
and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). A team of local and
national planning professionals contributed to the Toolkit, including Urban
Design Associates, Brown+Danos landdesign, Concrete Change, Enterprise
Community Partners, Karen Levine, Jonathan Rose Companies, Suzanne Turner
Associates, University of Buffalo-State University of New York IDEA Center
and Wolfe Design.

The U.S. Federal Emergency Management Agency's ESF #14 Long Term Planning
Division also made major contributions to Louisiana Speaks
<http://www.louisianaspeaks.org> , including development of a dynamic and
interactive web-based planning tool, available online at
www.louisianaspeaks-parishplans.org
<http://www.louisianaspeaks-parishplans.org> .

Through its annual conference program and other endeavors, the Louisiana
Chapter of the APA <http://www.louisiana-apa.org/>  provides continuing
education for certified urban planning professionals and attorneys, educates
planning commissioners and other "citizen planners" and promotes planning
statewide through its awards program. More than 150 registered delegates and
guests are expected to attend this year's conference. 

"The American Planning Association has partnered with the Louisiana Recovery
Authority and Louisiana Speaks since the early days post-Katrina and Rita,"
said Stephen D. Villavaso, president of the Louisiana Chapter of the APA
<http://www.louisiana-apa.org/> . "The Louisiana Speaks Regional Plan
represents the highest ideals of planning and sets a new standard for 'best
planning practices.' APA is honored to have a role in the development of
this historic step in the rebuilding of the State of Louisiana." 

Louisiana Speaks <http://www.louisianaspeaks.org>  is the long-term planning
initiative of the Louisiana Recovery Authority
<http://www.lra.louisiana.gov>  that is supported with private funds
provided by the LRA Support Foundation. For more information about Louisiana
Speaks <http://www.louisianaspeaks.org> , 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
Louisiana Recovery Authority <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 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. For more information about the LRA,
visit www.lra.louisiana.gov <http://www.lra.louisiana.gov> .