Creative Action, in partnership with Urban Land Institute (ULI) Louisiana, announces an open ideas competition for six downtown sites in Lafayette, LA. “[Imagine Downtown] Lafayette” invites individuals, students, and professionals to participate. Each of the six sites has a unique set of strengths, weaknesses and opportunities. Participants must select one of these sites and propose specific solutions to its particular challenges. The goal is to invigorate the urban core while also uniting surrounding neighborhoods and producing a 24-hour community.

Downtown Lafayette has developed from rural beginnings into a regional metropolitan center, boasting a thriving economy, rich cultural assets, and tight-knit community values. While Lafayette has many elements necessary to fuel its growth, many barriers remain in realizing its full potential as an innovative, sustainable city. The pervasive influence of the automobile has fragmented the historic urban core and has promoted sprawl throughout the city. Like many post-modern American cities, Lafayette is left with a landscape dominated by underutilized parking lots, inadequate pedestrian connectivity, and isolated neighborhoods. This condition presents opportunities where innovative urban development of these latent spaces can enhance urban living and cultivate a community of creative-class citizens.