This online User Guide is intended to assist communities and stakeholders by providing them with an organized approach to discovering the various tools in the Toolkit and offer an explanation of some important Toolkit elements.

The User Guide is not intended to calibrate the code for you and it may not answer all of your questions. It will, however, provide you with a comprehensive overview of the most important concepts.

Search by Toolkit Theme
Search the Toolkit thematically. There are eight smart growth themes covering topics from “Healthy, Vibrant and Attractive Neighborhoods,” to “Provide a Variety of Transportation Choices,” and “Protect Louisiana’s Heritage.”

Search by Stakeholder Interest Area
Stakeholders typically have a set of defined interests. This search feature allows you to select which stakeholder group best defines you and allows you to search the tools that are most important to that stakeholder group.

What if You Need Help?

The creation of a community vision, the preparation of a context plan, the calibration of the Toolkit, and adoption of a development code can be a daunting task. The Center for Planning Excellence (CPEX) is available to assist Louisiana communities to navigate the planning and coding process (click here for contact information).

Context Areas
Learn more about the importance of comprehensive planning and context areas.

Use Districts
Learn more about the various zoning districts that make up the Land Use Toolkit.

Building Types
Learn more about the Toolkit's approach to controlling building form through the use of defined building types.

Streets and Blocks
Learn more about the importance of shaping the public realm through context sensitive road design.