Researchers with LSU’s College of the Coast & Environment have developed a new tool aimed at helping Baton Rouge city planners boost flood resilience while also tackling blight.
The Flood Resilient Redevelopment tool is a GIS map that allows users to view available parcels of land in the parishes bordering the Amite River alongside rankings of their flood risk, walkability and ability to retain runoff, among other factors.
When considered in aggregate, those factors can help city planners make informed decisions about how to best use available land by prioritizing parcels for either flood mitigation or urban redevelopment.
For example, an empty lot that retains stormwater runoff could protect nearby neighborhoods by serving as green space. Alternatively, a property in a different area may not provide much flood protection but may be walkable and well positioned for a new business or housing development.
The idea is that the tool, by providing city planners with both hyperlocal and parishwide data, can enable a more strategic approach to balancing flood resilience with economic growth.
“We have all the data needed to make sound decisions that promote vibrant urban cores and flood risk reduction in our city,” says Rebeca de Jesús Crespo, one of the LSU researchers who developed the tool. “We set out to make it easier for decision-makers to do so.”
Crespo developed the tool alongside LSU’s Thomas Douthat and Clint Willson in partnership with Build Baton Rouge, the Capital Region Planning Commission and the Georgetown Climate Center. Their work was funded by the National Academy of Science’s Gulf Research Program.
Although the tool has been designed to address issues specific to Baton Rouge, its developers say it could be easily replicated in other metros across the country.
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