Downtown Lafayette, Louisiana

Report Summary: Following a devastating flood in 2016, the City of Lafayette, Louisiana was left with severely damaged suburban areas and faced many follow up challenges with flooding and stormwater management. Seeking a sustainable future plan for development, the City expressed a strong desire to prioritize infill and redevelopment in the downtown. Although the downtown has experienced a recent economic decline, the area is located on higher elevation, which reduces the likelihood of destructive flooding. The City of Lafayette invited ULI to conduct a Resilience Advisory Services Panel to examine the opportunities for redevelopment, as well as encourage catalytic mixed-use and residential development in the city’s urban core. Specifically, the panel identified financial tools and policies to implement these more resilient land use and water management strategies.