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Jefferson EDGE 2020 Strategic Implementation Plan
and Quality of Life Initiative
Jefferson Parish, La
Jefferson Parish, a suburb of the City of New Orleans (now the largest parish in the State of Louisiana) has historically been a model of stability and sustained economic growth. Jefferson’s business and political leaders are increasingly aware of potential threats to the Parish’s longstanding prosperity. Threats to Jefferson’s quality of life and economic well being include:
- Changes in the regional job market
- Population shifts within the metropolitan area
- Rising crime statistics
- Increased out-migration of numerous residents following Hurricane Katrina
- Financial and operating challenges faced by major institutions in the parish.
Some of the trends that the Parish is currently experiencing are typical of all mature suburbs. Jefferson—being an older suburb itself—was experiencing these challenges prior to Katrina. However, Hurricane Katrina and its subsequent impact upon the economy and demography of the region may have accelerated these trends.
In response, the Jefferson Parish Economic Development Commission (JEDCO) retained GCR to lead an executive group of Parish business, political, and community leaders in identifying each of the unique challenges that Jefferson is facing. The primary conclusion that emerged from this initial forum was the concept that Jefferson must broaden its economic development efforts to address the various issues that comprise the community’s overall quality of life.
A comprehensive initiative to generate specific, thematic quality of life action plans was initiated. With GCR as lead researcher, planner, and facilitator, a “strategic implementation plan” is being drafted to address issues ranging from flood protection to community beautification. In this role, GCR is also responsible for:
- Facilitating meetings of subject matter experts
- Conducting extensive research into best practices to glean additional policy direction
- Synthesizing these bodies of knowledge into legible, concise, yet ambitious action plans.
In addition to preparing implementation plans, GCR has also been tasked with assessing public attitudes toward quality of life issues. In the spring and summer of 2008, GCR designed a survey directed toward former Jefferson Parish residents to determine their views of the community and their reasons for moving from Jefferson Parish. This survey was administered by telephone and was directed to a random, statistically valid sample of former residents. GCR subsequently designed a similar, though web-based, survey of current Parish residents to ascertain their views on the same topics.
To date, GCR has completed five quality of life action plans: flood protection, crime abatement, public education, beautification, and health care/hospitals. These plans have been enthusiastically embraced by both the business and political leadership in the community, and they have benefited from unprecedented input from key stakeholders. The remaining three plans will be completed at the beginning of 2009.
