Co‑City Baton Rouge
Overview
Co‑City Baton Rouge (CCBR) is a multi‑stakeholder initiative designed to address long‑standing disinvestment in historically under‑resourced neighborhoods. The project focuses on transforming vacant, abandoned, and deteriorated properties (VADs) into community assets through new governance institutions that center resident participation, long‑term affordability, and equitable development.
Seeded in 2020 through a competitive JPMorgan Chase Advancing Cities award to LabGov and its Baton Rouge partners, CCBR has become a national model for community‑centered land governance.
Governance Innovation
The core innovation of CCBR was the creation of the Plank Road Community Land Bank and Trust (CLBT) — a neighborhood‑based institution designed to acquire VAD properties and steward them for community benefit. The CLBT prevented displacement by ensuring land remained accessible for residents and aligned with community priorities.
In 2026, this model was scaled citywide into the East Baton Rouge Community Land Revitalization Authority (CLRA) — the first hybrid land bank–land trust in the United States. By combining the acquisition powers of a land bank with the long‑term stewardship mission of a land trust, the CLRA is designed to:
- Preserve land in historically under‑resourced neighborhoods
- Support community‑centric development partnerships
- Align public, private, and civic actors around equitable revitalization
- Ensure residents have a meaningful role in shaping redevelopment
Why It Matters
The CLRA represents a breakthrough in urban governance: a legally recognized, citywide institution that embeds community stewardship into the redevelopment process. It demonstrates how co‑governance structures can shift power, stabilize neighborhoods, and create durable pathways for equitable growth.
Baton Rouge is now a leading national example of how cities can redesign land institutions to support community ownership, prevent displacement, and catalyze inclusive development.
Early Outcomes
The CLRA’s first development was a 10,000‑square‑foot EcoPark, co‑designed with residents through an intensive community engagement process. The EcoPark includes recreational, ecological, and educational features shaped directly by neighborhood priorities.
Current developments include:
- Construction of single‑family homes that expand affordable homeownership for low‑to‑moderate‑income families
- Community‑led economic initiatives designed to support local businesses and generate sustainable growth
Future developments will continue to test how co-governance can strengthen neighborhood resilience and expand community capacity.
Project Development Timeline
Planning: Imagine Plank Road
Funding: JPMorgan Chase Advancing Cities Grant
Co‑Design: Plank Road Eco‑Park
Institution Building: Community Land Bank & Trust → Community Land Revitalization Authority
How Baton Rouge Advances the Co‑City Framework
Collective Governance — Residents, civic groups, and public agencies co‑design and co‑manage land assets.
Enabling State — The City of Baton Rouge created a new hybrid institution to support community stewardship.
Social & Economic Pooling — Land is aggregated and redeveloped through shared governance structures.
Experimentalism — The CLRA tests new models of land ownership, community engagement, and development.
Tech Justice — Data on VAD properties informs equitable planning and resource allocation.