[StBernard] Louisiana Speaks Releases GIS Database to the Public

[Westley Annis]

LOUISIANA SPEAKS RELEASES GIS DATABASE TO PUBLIC 

The Louisiana Recovery Authority (LRA) and the non-profit Center for
Planning Excellence (CPEX) are distributing an extensive database of spatial
information on South Louisiana . The data was collected as part of the
Louisiana Speaks regional planning process and is available to planning
organizations and members of the public with GIS capabilities.

Nationally renowned consultants partnered with local experts to develop the
database, which was compiled from existing data clearinghouses such as the
Louisiana State University (LSU) Atlas and the LSU Hurricane Katrina and
Rita Clearinghouse Cooperative; state agencies including the Department of
Natural Resources (DNR) and the Department of Transportation and Development
(DOTD); metropolitan planning organizations; and parish and municipal
planning organizations. 

"Comprehensive data is a cornerstone to sound planning," said Donna Fraiche,
chair of the LRA's Long Term Community Planning Task Force. "Providing this
information furthers a Louisiana Speaks goal of increasing the state's
planning capacity and builds upon two years of planning intiated in the
aftermath of Hurricanes Katrina and Rita."

GIS (Geographic Information System) technology is a tool that allows users
to analyze and edit data, as well as create maps for specific uses. The
Louisiana Speaks GIS data is organized within the following categories: 

*	Post-Katrina and Rita Recovery-Related Data 
*	Hazard-Area Data 
*	Land-Use and Demographic Data 
*	Landscape Data 
*	Infrastructure Data 
*	Future Community Growth and Transportation Options 
*	Louisiana Speaks Regional Plan 

"For example," says Camille Manning-Broome, Principal Planner for CPEX, "GIS
technology might allow emergency planners to easily calculate emergency
response times in the event of a natural disaster, or it may assist
communities that want to plan the way their land is used and developed." 

Certain software, such as ArcGIS or ArcView, is required to run GIS data.
Eventually Louisiana Speaks wants to provide resources so that GIS
technology can be accessed by the general public, such as companies that
want to site a new business that takes advantage of an underserved market,
or by home builders who want to place structures on high ground. Louisiana
Speaks and its partners are exploring this next phase of this GIS project. 

The Louisiana Speaks Strategic Implementation Plan, Section Four: Technology
Transfer and Geographic Information Systems, provides more information on
the contents of the Louisiana Speaks Regional Plan Geographic Information
System database, potential uses of the database, and the resources required
to use it. The paper is available on www.louisianaspeaks.org
<http://www.louisianaspeaks.org> , or by clicking here
<http://www.louisianaspeaks.org/showdoc.html?id=19301> . 

To obtain a copy of the GIS data, contact the Center for Planning Excellence
by email at laspeaks at c-pex.org <mailto:laspeaks at c-pex.org> , or by phone at
225.267.6300. In order to use this data, organizations and individuals must
agree that they will never sell it or charge other groups for its use. More
information on the GIS database and Louisiana Speaks can be found at
www.louisianaspeaks.org <http://www.louisianaspeaks.org> . 

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

The non-profit Center for Planning Excellence (CPEX) was created to serve as
a resource for South Louisiana residents, community organizations,
developers and elected officials. CPEX provides information on best
practices for planning and urban design, and also provides support and
management for the Louisiana Speaks initiative. For more information about
CPEX, visit www.planningexcellence.org <http://www.planningexcellence.org> .

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Louisiana Speaks is a long-term planning initiative of the Louisiana
Recovery Authority (LRA) that is supported with private funds provided
through the LRA Support Foundation. In the wake of the destruction caused by
Hurricanes Katrina and Rita, the Louisiana Speaks initiative works toward
the development of a sustainable, long-term vision for South Louisiana. This
work combines the efforts of local, state and federal partners along with
many experts, stakeholders and citizens into a comprehensive approach that
will guide recovery and growth over the next 50 years.