Frequently Asked Questions
WHAT IS A  MASTER PLAN? 

A master plan, sometimes called a comprehensive plan, sets out a strategic framework for making decisions about the long-term physical development of a community. When complete and adopted, the Shreveport-Caddo 2030 Plan will define a vision for the future linked to overall goals and policies, and will contain strategies and action items for achieving the goals. Like one’s own life goals, a master plan usually has a longer term horizon – twenty years or more.  It also usually includes shorter term steps or actions to be taken towards achieving the longer term vision.  Master plans tend to be updated every 5-10 years, to re-set the course as situations change or new opportunities present themselves.

During the Great Expectations Shreveport Caddo 2030 planning process, residents and others with a stake in Shreveport’s future will have many opportunities to articulate and review community values through public discussion, create a vision for the kind of place they want for their children and grandchildren, and identify the key areas where the city must act – both to preserve enduring character and to shape change so that our vision for Shreveport’s future can be achieved. Shreveport-Caddo 2030 will...

  • •  Provide policy and strategic guidance on the physical development and redevelopment of the city
  • •  Guide the city to actively seek positive change and deflect negative change, rather than simply react after change has occurred.
  • •  Provide predictability for developers, businesses and residents.
  • •  Help the city save money because it plans for orderly investment in services, facilities and infrastructure.
  • •  Enable the city and parish to be more competitive in attracting state and federal grant funds.
  • •  Help Shreveport – Caddo preserve and enhance the sense of place and identity that makes it unique. 

WHAT IS THE GEOGRAPHICAL AREA COVERED BY THE SHREVEPORT CADDO 2030 MASTER PLAN? 

The area includes all of the City of Shreveport and those portions of Caddo Parish that fall within the yellow and green areas in the map below. (Click on the map to open a larger view of the planning area)

WHAT WILL BE IN THE SHREVEPORT-CADDO 2030 MASTER PLAN? 

A common vision and aspirations for the future…

Strategies to capitalize on opportunities…

An action plan and investment for positive change…

OUR WORLD IS CHANGING RAPIDLY AND SO MUST INDIVIDUAL COMMUNITIES. Communities that plan are prepared for change. They have a vision for their future, as well as the strategies and planned investment required for success. The Shreveport-Caddo 2030 Master Plan will put the community in the driver’s seat--choosing the route to success instead of in the back seat with little input on destination.

The Master Plan will provide the Metropolitan Planning Commission, government leaders, private sector, non-profit partners, and the citizens of Shreveport and Caddo Parish with three important elements.

1. A common vision and aspirations for the future developed through multiple master plan community meeting and a public opinion survey—the plan will express our values, hopes and concerns.

2. Strategies to capitalize on opportunities that exist right now, as well as opportunities that will emerge in the future – the plan will be no pipedream.

3. An action plan and investment for positive change including concrete steps that government, business, non-profit sector, and citizens can take to move strategies forward – the plan will be much more than a “feel good” document.

WHAT WILL BE IN THE MASTER PLAN DOCUMENT? 

Based on the principles of Connection, Communication, Collaboration, and Community and connected by the threads of Sustainability, Equity, and Quality Development and Design, the Master Plan document will include the elements below:

Common vision: Chapters 1 and 2 set the stage and provide an overall framework for the document.

  • •  Chapter 1 –Vision and Principles
The Vision and Statement of Principles developed through the community participation process and a brief discussion of the planning context and previous plans.
  • •  Chapter 2 –The Community Speaks

Description of the community participation process, public opinion survey, events, plan review process.

Strategic path: Chapters 3 through 9 will include sections on current conditions; review of relevant community issues; goals, strategies and actions to achieve the goals. Chapter 10 integrates the land use implications of these chapters.

  • •  Chapter 3 - Natural and Cultural Heritage
The physical landscape and resources as they affect the community and the heritage of history and culture.
  • •  Chapter 4 - Downtown and the Waterfront
Strategies to strengthen downtown and nearby neighborhoods and make the most of the city’s waterfront.
  • •  Chapter 5 – Community Identity, Neighborhoods and Housing
A focus on improving quality of life for everyone, including services, amenities and affordable housing.
  • •  Chapter 6 – Green Infrastructure
Strategies to weave the area’s landscape of open spaces, parks, and waterways into a strong environmental and recreational network.
  • •  Chapter 7 - Promoting Prosperity
Economic development strategies to create jobs and enhance investment through maintaining existing businesses and fostering new ones, as well as strengthening the building blocks of economic development, ranging from workforce development to streamlining government procedures.
  • •  Chapter 8 - Transportation and Circulation
Recommendations to enhance transportation choice and coordinate transportation investments with land use choices and policies.
  • •  Chapter 9 - Public Facilities, Services and Infrastructure
Recommendations on facility, service and infrastructure future needs and cost-effective operations.
  • •  Chapter 10 - Future Land Use

The distribution of land uses desired in the future, integrating the vision and policy choices discussed in the previous chapters and taking into account fiscal concerns.

Step by step action: Chapter 11 focuses on how to make the plan a living document that continues to be used by decision makers and the community. Chapter 12 is the step by step implementation plan.

  • •  Chapter 11 - Stewardship of the Plan
Recommendations on use, regular review, and updating of the plan.
  • •  Chapter 12 - Implementation

A system to turn the vision and the written plan into action and investment that will include a matrix of step by step actions to achieve the goals identifying WHAT needs to be done, HOW it should be done, WHO should be responsible, WHEN it needs to be done, and RESOURCES to be pursued.

HOW WILL THE MASTER PLAN ADDRESS LAND USE AND ZONING ISSUES? 

Land Use. The Master Plan will contain many recommendations on land use and zoning changes that may be needed to implement the strategies and achieve the goals of the Master Plan. An entire chapter, Future Land Use, will be dedicated to integrating the land use implications of the goals and strategies in the rest of the plan, with a Future Land Use Map that shows the distribution of desired land uses across the planning area. The Future Land Use Map, however, is not a zoning map.

Zoning. Zoning is just one of many tools to implement the Master Plan. Changes to zoning, therefore, come after the master plan provides direction, because the zoning changes are actions to implement the Plan. In the Shreveport-Caddo 2030 Master Plan, there will be recommendations for zoning changes in individual chapters, in addition to inclusion of zoning actions in the implementation plan. If a complete rewriting of the zoning code is called for, it also must lag the creation of the Master Plan in order to correctly reflect its goals and policies. Although communities sometimes decide to bundle creation of a master plan and a rewrite of the zoning code into one project, it is more common to wait until the master plan is finished before launching into a zoning rewrite project, which typically takes a minimum of two years.

    WHY PLAN FOR THE FUTURE OF THE SHREVEPORT-CADDO AREA? WHAT ARE THE BENEFITS OF A MASTER PLAN? 

    • •  Agree on what we want our community to be like in the future, so residents, government, business, institutions and nonprofits can all partner together to achieve that future
    • •  Make sure we keep what we like about our community and what makes it unique
    • •  Decide what we want to change and what actions we need to take to make the changes
    • •  Find out what we need to do to improve quality of life for current residents and attract new residents—and the businesses that want to employ them
    • •  Provide predictability for residents, businesses and developers, so they know what to expect Save taxpayer money on orderly public investment in services, facilities and infrastructure
    • •  Decide how to use the potential of prosperity from the Haynesville shale for the long-term benefit of our community
    • •  Allow Shreveport–Caddo governmental and private entities to leverage local funds by competing more effectively for state, federal funding resources for implementation
    • •  Enable public to hold city, parish and MPC accountable over 20 years for implementing evidence based, publicly supported strategies for future

    HOW WILL WE MAKE SURE THIS PLAN IS A SUCCESS? 

    Shreveport- Caddo last created a master plan in 1957 and has succeeded in accomplishing most of the recommended policies in the plan. The community’s extensive network of roads and streets is a visible achievement that underpinned generations of prosperity in an era of growth. It is time for a new master plan that reflects contemporary challenges, opportunities and civic climates.  The Shreveport-Caddo 2030 Master Plan process will feature:

    Participation.  The 2030 Master Plan will be based on extensive community participation and dialogue.  A public opinion survey, Visioning Forum, public workshops, special area workshops, and numerous other opportunities will enable hundreds – even thousands – of people to participate in and monitor the planning process.

    Transparency. Plans that move successfully into implementation enjoy public trust and confidence and reflect the contributions of many, many voices.  All meetings for Shreveport Caddo 2030 are open to the public, all presentations, interim reports, meeting notes and draft materials will be posted on the website.

    Visualization.  Maps, illustrations, photographs and other graphics will help Shreveporters to understand the choices they face in planning for the future.

    New approaches and alternatives. The planning consultants will bring to the community a range of new approaches being used around the country as well as alternative scenarios for Shreveport-Caddo’s future so that Shreveporters can decide what fits with their vision for the community’s future.

    Most effort on the hardest questions. The city and parish already do many things well. Shreveport-Caddo 2030 will cover all plan elements typically included in a comprehensive master plan, but the most effort and attention will be focused on issues which need greatest planning attention.

    Implementation from the beginning.  Implementation strategies and action steps will be discussed as the plan is developed and opportunities for early actions and early successes will be identified.

    WHEN WILL THE SHREVEPORT-CADDO 2030 MASTER PLAN BE FINISHED? 

    A draft plan will be ready in the summer of 2010 and then go through public review and revision. Final adoption of the plan is expected in Fall 2010.

    Shreveport--Caddo Master Plan Project Status

    June: Contract signed, work begins community caucus, planning and outreach strategy for Visioning Forum.

    July: Speakers’ bureau, community outreach via 25 presentations,, 60,000 flyers, additional outreach.

    August: CAG formed, meets twice.. 400 people at Visioning Forum, robust media coverage.

    September: Public release off1) Forum report, 2) public opinion survey, 3) report on fiscal impact off current development patterns. CAG field tour, Draft Vision and Principles

    September: Public open houses to get feedback on Draft Vision

    October: Presentation of Vision to MPC, City Council and Parish Commission; 4 Public Workshops

    November: 2 Public Workshops; Topical Working Groups meet

    December: Topical Working Groups meet

    January 2010: Topical Working Groups meet

    February: Public Workshops and Working Groups

    March: Topical Working Groups Meet

    June: CAG Review of Draft Plan; MPC Review of Draft Plan

    July: Draft Plan for Public Review 

    HOW DOES THE MASTER PLAN BECOME OFFICIAL? WHO ADOPTS IT?
    The Metropolitan Planning Commission of Shreveport and Caddo Parish (MPC) is sponsoring the planning process for the area of the MPC’s zoning jurisdiction on behalf of both the City of Shreveport and Caddo Parish. When the plan is complete and approved, MPC will recommend its adoption by the two legislative bodies, the Shreveport City Council and the Caddo Parish Commission.      

    HOW WILL THE MASTER PLAN BE IMPLEMENTED? 

    Once adopted, the Master Plan will be an official city and parish document. It will contain policies, strategies and actions that will guide city and parish government policies and practices. However, government alone is only a part of the implementation process. The process of creating the Master Plan with extensive public participation is intended to lead to partnerships involving other key agencies and community organizations involved in economic and community development, housing, human services, neighborhood revitalization, environmental conservation and other aspects of quality of life.  Everyone who lives in and cares about Shreveport-Caddo will have a role in implementing the Master Plan. 

    HOW CAN I GET INVOLVED? 

    Click here for details.

     

     
Chapters 3 through 9 will include sections on current conditions; review of relevant community issues; goals, strategies and actions to achieve the goals. Chapter 10 integrates the land use implications of these chapters.