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Great Places in Louisiana Announced
The Downtown Development District & the Kress Welsh-Levy project receive Awards

Award recipients L to R: Lauren Fitch, John Schneider, Nancy McPherson(AARP), Charles Landry(AARP), Kathryn Lawler (AARP) and Davis Rhorer


The DDD and the Kress Welsh-Levy project were among winners presented with this year's Great Places in Louisiana award by AARP's Livable Communities Council, the Center for Planning Excellence and the Lt. Governor's Office. An award ceremony was held last night, August 19, at the Shaw Center for the Arts in downtown Baton Rouge.

The judges combined the attributes of the Downtown Development District with those of the Kress Welsh-Levy Project for one joint award.

Judges remarks:

  • Offers services and supports for livability, greening of the area, and developing river access;
  • Both projects demonstrated collaboration among many partners;
  • Re-use of historic buildings for residential living and inclusion of attractive universal design features;
  • Walkability is achieved with a redesign of intersections, sidewalk improvements and quality destinations;
  • A strong partnership between the city and the state has brought businesses and government jobs back to the downtown area;
  • The investment in historic properties demonstrates a strong commitment to re-using structures and a willingness to re-invest in an existing community rather than simply building new structures, further away from downtown.

"These award winners are leading the way in making their communities more livable. They promote a rich quality of life that includes physical activity, convenience, flexibility and cultural and civic engagement. This vision is kept at the forefront of their design and successful implementation," said Nancy McPherson, Louisiana State Director, AARP.

"Great Places in Louisiana are one-of-a-kind. They are distinguished by unique and outstanding public spaces, a vibrant and engaged citizenry, a diverse mix of housing options, transportation alternatives, and the services to support individuals and families with a wide range of needs," said Elizabeth "Boo" Thomas, President and CEO, Center for Planning Excellence.

The seven-judge panel, comprised of professionals in urban planning, landscape architecture, economics, architecture, and transportation, closely evaluated each nomination using specific criteria that defines a livable community or community program. Judges critiqued the applicants' affordability, accessibility, connectivity, sustainability, community engagement, walkabilty, public transit and successful implementation among other measures. The three award categories are diverse mobility options, opportunities for housing and access to support services.

Each winner received a $1,500 award and will present their community or community-based program at the Smart Growth Summit today, August 20.



For more information on the Downtown Development District, visit our website.


227 Florida St.  |  Baton Rouge, LA 70801  |  (225) 389-5520 Office (225) 389-5523 Fax  |  8:00 a.m. - 5 p.m. M-F


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