CATALYTIC PROJECT CRITERIA

Benefits

• Provides measurable benefit to greatest needs:

– Affordable housing

– Quality of life

– Drainage

• Regional impact that provides benefits to both parishes and beyond

• Attracts future investment by public and private sectors

• Generates positive economic growth for the future

• Improves quality of life

– Health

– Culture

– Access to nature and water

– Hazard risk reduction

• Co-benefits social and environmental resiliency

Implementation

• Ability to move forward within a 10-year horizon

• Available funding sources

• Proven concept or solution

• Constructible within public property, rights-of-way (ROW), or on partner-owned property

Resiliency

• Addresses future conditions (sea level rise, higher intensive storms, heat hazards)

• Include blue and green infrastructure

• Able to withstand frequent stresses and major disaster events

• Reduces risk beyond the immediate location

Community and Stakeholder Buy-In

• Prioritized as important by residents, stakeholders, and partners

Project 7 Strong Downtowns

Walkable, active downtowns are vibrant locations for nurturing new and existing small businesses, jobs, and services. They also foster cultural identity and offer spaces for community gatherings and festivals. This project offers a toolkit for strengthening the downtowns in SWLA with walkable streets, stormwater management, drainage, active infill uses, and public spaces for gathering and celebration.

Project 8 Community Resilience Hubs

The safety of residents during and after disaster events continues to be a critical need for SWLA. Resilience hubs are community-serving facilities that support residents, coordinate communication, distribute resources, and enhance quality of life. In emergencies, Community Resilience Hubs would provide places for food and water distribution, shelter, charging, cooling, and disaster response coordination. During non-disaster times, these facilities can serve as community buildings for gatherings and recreation. Parishes can start by identifying existing facilities, publicly owned land outside of the Special Flood Hazard Area, and each community’s specific needs to develop a customized strategy.

Project 9 Resilient Housing For Swla

Increasing resilient, affordable housing is a critical issue for this region. Residents are facing the high cost of flood insurance, rising sale prices and rents, and insufficient practices in rebuilding post-disaster. The Resilient Housing Toolkit is a short, easy-to-navigate document that combines valuable resources from FEMA and others to outline the steps needed to build and rebuild resilient housing in the region.

Project 10 Strategies To Address Vacant And Underutilized Property

The strategies in this section aim to move vacant and underutilized properties into productive uses, such as housing, community-serving retail, job opportunities, and green space. An entity should be identified, empowered, or created to address adjudicated properties; track and categorize risk levels for adjudicated properties; and consider strategic locations and approaches for redevelopment. The entity should also explore creative solutions to challenging properties with legal and financial encumbrances.

Plan Recommendations

Each of the 10 catalytic projects addresses the five plan topic areas. In addition to the specific recommendations, the Just Imagine SWLA 50-Year Resilience Master Plan also includes policy recommendations and actions in each of the five topics. These plan recommendations will be critical to helping the region reach its resiliency goals.

The plan recommendations are based on:

• Analysis of the existing conditions, including physical infrastructure and development patterns, market and economic factors, and the state of infrastructure;

• Guiding Group meetings and input; and

• Public input throughout the process.

The plan recommendations include projects that are less visible, more limited in influence, or longer term than the 10 catalytic projects. However, they are still critically important to the advancement of the region. The plan recommendations will be implemented by partnership of public, private, and non-profit partners. The lists to the right demonstrate the types of recommendations found in the Plan Recommendations chapter.

Community Planning

– Zoning and Regulatory Updates

– Walkability and Bikeability Recommendations

Housing

– Zoning and Regulatory Updates

– Strategies for Affordable Housing

– Recommendations for Training and Advancement of Resilient Building Practices

Economic Development

– Downtown Lake Charles Recommendations

– I-10 Corridor Recommendations

– Economic Diversification Recommendations

Infrastructure

– Recommendations to Improve Access & Connectivity

– Recommendations to Improve Standards of Existing Roads

– Resilient Utility Recommendations

– Higher Standards for Flood and Wind Risk

Natural and Cultural Resources

– Food and Culinary Culture Recommendations

– Cultural Venue and Event Recommendations

– Family-Friendly Entertainment Recommendations

– Recommendations for the Protection and Enhancement of Natural Resources