Contact: Denise Bottcher

225.376.1145
dbottcher@aarp.org

November 11, 2014

2014 GREAT PLACES IN LOUISIANA ANNOUNCED

Winners working to creating livable communities for people of all ages
BATON ROUGE, La. AARPs Livable Communities Council, the Center for Planning Excellence and
the Lt. Governors Office announced today that Abita Springs Friends of the Park, the ReFresh
Project, and the Young Leadership Councils Where Ya Rack? are this years winners of Great Places
in Louisiana.
Announced at a reception at the Louisiana Smart Growth Summit in Baton Rouge, the winners were
honored with a trophy and a $1,500 check for their work.
This years winners have tackled old problems with new, creative approaches that set them apart.
Each winner has successfully linked development and redevelopment with healthy, active living and
have renewed the social benefits of the Louisiana outdoors, said Denise Bottcher, interim State
Director, AARP Louisiana. Well-designed livable communities promote better health and sustain
economic growth, and they make for happier, healthier residentsof every age, in all life stages.
Great Places in Louisiana, now in its fifth year, is awarded annually to the individuals, organizations or
local governments that have excelled in creating places where diverse people of all ages and abilities
can live and thrive. Great Places are livable communities where everyone has access to affordable
and appropriate housing, adequate mobility options, and supportive community features.
At the heart of a livable community is a great space where neighbors can socially and actively
connect with others, and participate in the health and wellness of the community. Unique to the
winners this year is the strong volunteer component that brought the projects to fruition and sustains
theirgrowth and vitality, said Elizabeth Boo Thomas, President and CEO, Center for Planning
Excellence.
Nearly ten years after hurricanes Katrina and Rita, communities are still recovering and rebuilding.
Its exciting to see that innovative planning and development have sparked the transformation of
communities and have inspired a whole new volunteer workforce, said Lt. Governor Jay Dardenne.
A panel of seven judges from across the nation, each with a unique set of knowledge and expertise,
pored over the nominations to select the three winners. The judges evaluated nominations based on
several criteria including livability, sustainability, ability to serve traditionally underserved populations
and long and short term benefits.
Announced at a reception during the Louisiana Smart Growth Summit in Baton Rouge, the winners
received a $1,500 award for their work.

The 2014 Great Places in Louisiana

Abita Springs Friends of the Park

The long-forgotten Abita Tourist Park was severely impacted by Hurricanes Katrina and Rita in
2005, along with the surrounding forest area.
A group of volunteers founded Friends of the Park in 2007 to rebuild and reforest the Abita
Springs Trailhead and Park. They raised over $150,000 for the project.
In June 2008, 350 volunteers worked for six days to install a new 16,000-square-foot
playground featuring murals from local artists.
In addition to the playground, the Trailhead and Park now features an historic Pavilion, paved
and natural trails, picnic areas, an amphitheater and the Abita Springs Trailhead Museum,
among other features. The Abita Springs Trailhead and Park is now a social center of life for
the residents of Abita Springs, hosting concerts, festivals and a weekly farmers market in
addition to regular park and trail usage.

ReFresh Project

The Treme and Mid-City areas of New Orleans have extremely high rates of poverty and
obesity, with a marked lack of access to affordable, fresh, healthy food and a lack of job
opportunities.
The ReFresh Project transformed a 60,000-square-foot former grocery store in a collaborative
effort to improve community health and provide education, supportive services, jobs and
economic opportunities to the community.
The new programs include a Whole Foods Market; Libertys Kitchen, which works with at-risk
youths and will provide prepared food for Whole Foods; and the Goldring Center for Culinary
Medicine at Tulane University, a teaching kitchen that will provide Whole Foods shoppers with
tours and tips for making healthy choices, as well as the opportunity to take cooking classes.
The project also includes indoor and outdoor community spaces, a community farm, and office
space for FirstLine Schools, Boys Town, Crescent City Community Land Trust and Broad
Community Connections.

Young Leadership Council: Where Ya Rack?

The Where Ya Rack? project provides safe and secure bicycle parking across New Orleans to
promote cycling as a means of transportation.
This project supports New Orleans Complete Streets policy by installing bicycle racks and
corrals.
Twelve bicycles can fit in the space it would take to park one car, opening up more parking
spots and decreasing traffic congestion for people who must drive.
Encouraging cycling by providing parking promotes an active, healthy lifestyle and reduces
carbon emissions. Cyclists, as well as pedestrians, frequent local business more often than
drivers.
To date, Where Ya Rack? has installed more than 335 bicycle racks and corrals, and will
provide 72 schools across New Orleans with bicycle racks and bicycle safety education.
Where Ya Rack? has completed the installations at 12 of those 72 schools.

##

###