Imagine Plank Road Master Plan

The Imagine Plank Road Plan for Equitable Development is the result of a year-long urban planning and community engagement initiative focused on revitalizing the Plank Road corridor—from 22nd Street to the intersection of Harding Boulevard and Hooper Road. Known as Baton Rouge’s most blighted corridor, Plank Road remains a vital cultural and commercial anchor for North Baton Rouge. The plan provides a vision for transforming this historic corridor into a vibrant, connected, and inclusive place through transit-oriented development (TOD), public space improvements, housing, and local business support.

In 2018, Build Baton Rouge began convening local and state partners—including the Capital Area Transit System (CATS), the City-Parish Department of Public Works (DPW), and the Louisiana Department of Transportation and Development (DOTD)—to plan for a Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) line that would connect Plank Road to downtown and beyond. Recognizing the potential of this infrastructure investment to catalyze broader revitalization, BBR secured a $100,000 JPMorgan Chase PRO Neighborhoods Planning Grant, and leveraged an additional $125,000 in support from local partners including the Baton Rouge Area Foundation, ExxonMobil, Coca-Cola Bottling Company, General Informatics, Investar Bank, and the John and Virginia Noland Fund.

These funds enabled BBR to hire Asakura Robinson, a New Orleans-based urban planning firm, to lead the corridor planning effort. At the same time, BBR secured approval from the Metropolitan Council to transfer over 80 adjudicated and blighted parcels into its land bank—ensuring that catalytic redevelopment envisioned in the plan could become possible in the years ahead.

The planning process was rooted in equity and cultural celebration. BBR invested over $50,000 in local, minority-owned businesses to support pop-up events, cultural festivals, trolley tours, clean-ups, and engagement sessions throughout the corridor. All activities were branded under the campaign #ImaginePlankRoad, which created space for residents to shape the vision through art, storytelling, and direct feedback.

Released in November 2019, the final plan outlines priority investments in transit, streetscape improvements, commercial hubs, and mixed-use infill. That same month, Baton Rouge was awarded a $15 million federal BUILD grant to launch Louisiana’s first BRT system—making Plank Road the city’s most significant TOD opportunity and confirming the importance of the community-driven planning effort.

Today, the plan continues to guide corridor-wide priorities, including the creation of Erie Street Eco Park, and serves as a platform for attracting new investment to a place long deserving of it.

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Beyond buildings and infrastructure, every BBR project aims to create lasting impact. These benefits reflect how the project improves lives, supports neighborhood growth, and contributes to Baton Rouge’s long-term vitality.

Benefits:

• Established a community-led vision for revitalizing Baton Rouge’s most blighted corridor
• Laid the groundwork for Louisiana’s first BRT line, improving transit access and safety
• Identified 7 catalytic TOD sites for mixed-use, housing, and community-serving projects
• Elevated Black-owned businesses and cultural heritage through design and policy proposals
• Created Erie Street Eco Park, a green space and stormwater solution envisioned by the plan
• Provided a replicable framework for equitable planning citywide

The Imagine Plank Road plan reframes a corridor long overlooked as a place of rich culture, resilient community, and untapped potential. With early wins like Erie Street Eco Park and new development in motion, the vision for a more connected, inclusive Plank Road is beginning to take shape—guided by the voices who call it home.