UL Lafayette: CDW: I-49 Connector: Public Process

				I-49 Connector: Public Process


				BACK \| NEXT TOPICS introduction public process case studies alignments garden urbanism alt. street links public realm neighborhoods lighting sound study public art conclusion recognition	Public Discussion and education of a Community Instituting a public forum is a common technique in all Workshop projects. This manifests itself in two types of discussions: charrettes and public meetings. Both charrettes and public meetings were used in the I-49 Connector Project to help educate the public on issues regarding architecture, urbanism, and planning strategies. The meetings provided a collaborative exchange between the Workshop, the planning staff, the three MPO Advisory Committees, neighborhood organizations, the general public, and state and federal agencies. The community members bring a wealth of knowledge regarding their neighborhood or city. Because of this, the Workshop has played the role of both educator and student through the exchange of information provided by these respective groups. Charrettes: Charrettes are short design exercises that focus on a wide range of design issues. Charrettes were held for the I-49 Connector Project with a representative cross-section of Lafayette's population in attendance. Three groups had active roles during the charrettes: The Neighborhood pride organization, the planning staff of Lafayette, and the MPO Advisory Committees. The groups involved came to a consensus regarding the importance of the project to the community with respect to planning architecture, and landscape. Each group brought a special, individual perspective to the project. Neighborhood Pride Organization, Citizens Action Council, McComb-Veazey Neighborhood, Inc, and others were interested in the economic development that this project might generate. They were also concerned about the possible displacement of housing and the potential relocation strategies. Furthermore, the neighborhood groups were interested in a facility that could accommodate a variety of public activities and recreation. The planning staff brought policies and procedures of land use and land banking, as well as an interest in developing the space and the structures into an activated environment. MPO committees were concerned with structure, lighting and sound issues, overall aesthetic properties, and proper placement of exit ramps to major arterials. The origins of ideas presented in development drawings and meetings can be traced back through the design process. Many of these ideas were first suggested in charrettes. Public Meetings: A series of public meetings provided a forum for presenting ideas about urbanism to the community and for listening to citizens' concerns. The community was represented by neighborhood groups (La Place des Creole), the Lafayette Chamber of Commerce, real estate organizations, and the City-Parish Council. Public meetings encouraged the formal exchange of ideas between business people, city officials, professionals, and residents. Armed with the information gleaned from the charrettes and from research on contemporary urban design and road construction, meetings were held to inform and educate the public regarding the process and progress of the project. These public meetings were presented to a variety of organizations and allowed the Workshop to stress concepts and procedures for urban design.

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Document last revised Thursday, April 22, 2004 10:28 AM