Our city is changing so fast, it can be hard to keep up. Every week, we hear of a new restaurant opening, a new mixed-use development in the works, a new office building going up. But we wanted to see the bigger picture—those developments that will bring the biggest impact to Baton Rouge and help us become an innovative hub, that road project that will completely overhaul and help revitalize a struggling neighborhood.
More than that, we wanted to know if these fancy new projects would be sustainable. Looking into the future these days is not all about flying cars and gleaming, shiny skyscrapers. We have to be clear-eyed about our position on the Gulf Coast, and what that means in a future experts say will include stronger storms, rising sea waters and migrating populations. Baton Rouge has the potential to lead in that respect, and we wanted to know how.
As we head into 2020, let this cover story be your roadmap to our city’s greatest expectations. Here’s what local leaders plan to do to improve everything from traffic and infrastructure to parks and recreation. And in the middle of it all, we asked residents to dream big and share their own ideas for our future. What will Baton Rouge think of next?
BUILDING A BETTER BATON ROUGE
Updates and renovations to several projects around town
A GREEN DESTINATION
The long-term plans for a park and zoo to rule all others in Baton Rouge
HIGH-SPEED PURSUITS
Will we ever see passenger rail between Baton Rouge and New Orleans?
A TALE OF TWO CORRIDORS
These street projects will reshape two Baton Rouge neighborhoods
WHAT’S THE BIG IDEA
We asked local leaders to share their big dreams for the Red Stick
BREAKING BARRIERS
MAKING MOVES
THINKING LIKE A SPONGE
How Baton Rouge of the future could deal with climate change and flooding