Cassidy: Future of state may depend on smart growth

Rep. Bill Cassidy says the long-term health of Louisiana might depend in part on the implementation of “smart growth” principles. “I don’t know what you know,” Cassidy said today, addressing the fourth annual Smart Growth Summit, hosted by the Center for Planning Excellence. “My responsibility is to try and learn what you know and to try to implement it in public policy.” But Kate Rube, federal policy director of Smart Growth America, says many smart growth principles, such as compact development, mixing of different uses and providing a range of housing choices in the same area, are illegal in many communities, even though surveys show at least one-third of the public wants to live in smart-growth-inspired communities. The summit began last night with an address from Andres Duany, who led the first phase of Plan Baton Rouge, the master plan for downtown Baton Rouge. The summit runs throughout today and Friday, and ends with a “Kids Planning Day” on Saturday.—David Jacobs