Consultant outlines master plan update, urges neighborhood planning and redevelopment authority

Andrew Newpil, project manager with consulting firm Oscar Robinson, briefed the Shreveport City Council on July 22 on the city—s master plan update and recommended actions to move the plan from vision into implementation.

Newpil said the update began in February 2024 and that the consulting team is now working on an "80% draft" with recommended priorities and a timeline that would include a full plan for review in September, a Metropolitan Planning Commission public hearing in November and council consideration for adoption in December. "We—re hoping this month to complete our draft of the plan," he told the council.

The consultant said the update builds on the 2010 Great Expectations master plan but shifts emphasis from a purely citywide vision to neighborhood-level execution because the city has lost population and faces higher vacancy and adjudicated-property concentrations. "The vision for the last master plan is is pretty solid," Newpil said. "But there's some work we need to do to implement it a bit more effectively."

Newpil identified four implementation priorities the consultant team recommends for the next five years: create a culture of neighborhood planning; link the master plan to the city—s capital-planning processes; build staff and community capacity to execute projects; and launch a professional redevelopment authority to help address adjudicated and problem properties.

He described how a future land-use map and a "greenprint" of active-transportation, parks and trails are being updated to guide parcel-level decisions and to help coordinate capital projects that can catalyze infill development. Newpil said the plan includes deeper, neighborhood-scale work in a central planning area and attention to revitalizing commercial corridors and transit-linked corridors.

On adjudicated and vacant properties, Newpil said the Shreveport Implementation Redevelopment Authority (CIRA) could play a greater role. "CIRA has the opportunity to help figure out that next step and be a partner in that process," he said, noting the authority—s state-enabled powers to clear title. He added that the authority would need staff and funding to act effectively "and make sure it's staying within its legal guardrails."

Newpil cited precedents for implementation strategies, saying Memphis and the East Baton Rouge Redevelopment Authority offered useful examples for neighborhood-focused planning, property-reuse strategy and capacity-building. In response to council questions, he said the consulting team studied cities with similar Sunbelt and regional contexts and tailored recommendations to local conditions.

The consultant summarized next steps as finishing the draft, refining recommendations with department heads and staff, then circulating materials for public outreach. "As we look towards the next 5 years, what we want to leave you all with and start a conversation about today is really thinking about how this plan stays off the shelf," he said.

Council members asked follow-up questions about models and local capacity during the presentation; Newpil said much of the upcoming work will focus on aligning capital projects, zoning, and targeted neighborhood planning to create visible, incremental change in neighborhoods.

The presentation will return to city staff and boards as the consultant refines the draft for fall public review.