Global design firm Perkins&Will has just announced final plans have been approved for the Florida Corridor Plan in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, on which the firm is the leading planner and urban designer. This initiative, recently approved by the East Baton Rouge Metropolitan Council, aims to transform and rejuvenate a 12-mile stretch connecting downtown Baton Rouge to the Livingston Parish line.
Focusing on equitable neighborhood development, the plan outlines significant investments in infrastructure, housing, green spaces, and commercial areas. Its design prioritizes revitalization of six neighborhood hubs critical to the social and economic fabric of the region: I-110 Stitch, Mid City, Foster & Florida, Bon Carre, Cortana, and Sherwood.
The Florida Corridor, a once-thriving commercial and commuter route, has experienced economic and infrastructural decline over the decades. Spanning 17 neighborhoods and serving over 85,000 residents, the corridor also reflects historic racial and economic divides, separating less affluent Black communities to the north from wealthier White communities to the south.
The Florida Corridor Plan aims to reverse these trends, leveraging public-private partnerships and tax increment financing from developments such as the Amazon Fulfillment Center at the former Cortana Mall site. Perkins&Will's approach integrates existing urban frameworks with a vision for sustainable growth, emphasizing connectivity, pedestrian safety, and public transit enhancements alongside commercial development.
Additionally, the design process followed an inclusive, year-long planning initiative to ensure community participation. Over 4,000 community members participated in workshops, public events, and surveys to inform the plan. This collaborative process ensured local voices shaped the priorities for revitalization and identified specific needs for each neighborhood hub.
This project represents a vital step toward unifying and revitalizing one of Baton Rouge's most significant urban corridors. Our aim is to foster growth and connectivity for decades to come. --Andrew Broderick, urban designer and project manager at Perkins&Will.
The Florida Corridor Plan addresses modern urban challenges, including shifting retail patterns, auto-centric development, and affordable housing shortages. It also works to complement Baton Rouge's MovEBR transportation infrastructure plan, ensuring the corridor balances vehicular traffic with pedestrian and transit-oriented solutions.
In other similar news, the Detroit Cultural District has announced an ambitious initiative to reshape its urban landscape. Additionally, the mayor of New York City, Eric Adams, along with the Future of Fifth Partnership, announced plans to transform Fifth Avenue, between Bryant Park and Central Park, into a pedestrian-centered boulevard. In Canada, Field Operations has been commissioned with the transformation of spaces underneath Toronto's Gardiner Expressway into community spaces.
