Element: Land Use
Land Use
Land Use Baton Rouge’s shared vision is of a community that is known for sustainability – in economic, environmental and social equity terms. Baton Rouge’s Downtown is strong and vibrant day and night. It’s the heart of the region, with opportunities for living, working and recreation. Neighborhoods are thriving and citizens have housing options that are safe and affordable to a variety of income levels.
East Baton Rouge Parish has attractive open spaces in every neighborhood, and residents have many desirable options for getting around, including walking, biking, riding transit and driving.
LAND USE GOALS
1. Use the adopted Comprehensive Plan to guide development decisions.
2. Make land use decisions that contribute to the Vision and East Baton Rouge Parish’s economic vitality.
3. Build a community fabric of distinctive neighborhoods and diverse districts where Parish residents have access to local commercial areas, schools, libraries, parks and open space areas.
4. Maintain, stabilize and strengthen existing neighborhoods, making them places where new residents are attracted to live.
5. Promote development patterns that encourage connectivity and walkability.
6. Put procedures, processes and tools in place to effectively and equitably implement FUTUREBR.
7. Ensure that areas where new growth is occurring benefit from sustainable development
8. Preserve and enhance environmental assets.
9. Establish a mechanism and process to monitor movement toward realizing the Vision.
10. Enhance community design character by upgrading components of the built environment.
11. Support a distinctive urban identity, enriched sense-of-place, and high quality of life.
The 20-Minute Neighborhood
Many residents of East Baton Rouge Parish would say that their quality of life is related to where they live and how easy it is to get to work, get kids to school, get involved with neighbors or have access to a local park. FUTUREBR sees the concept of the “20-minute neighborhood” – where residents can walk to essential amenities and services in 20 minutes – as a vital element of a healthy neighborhood. While many may prefer to drive, others will prefer walking to further enrich their own daily experience and to contribute to their quality of life.