Bossier City has a variety of areas for residents to enjoy, but workers are stepping up to break down silos via beautification and innovative ways to unite neighborhoods and districts.

The Bossier City-Parish Metropolitan Planning Commission (MPC) is undertaking projects to increase green space and the connectivity of areas within the city.

One unique project underway is the city’s first-ever pocket park. The MPC was introduced to this concept while attending a national urban planning conference in Minneapolis, Minnesota. 

MPC officials say data shows the intersection of Shed Road and Airline Drive has a high rate of fatal car crashes, and MPC officials have noticed pedestrians there, making safety a major concern. 

Creating a pocket park there would give those neighborhood residents a spot to take a break, eat a quick lunch, or play with their children.

The park will act as a buffer between commercial and residential zones. It will feature landscaping with trees, flowers, and benches. The MPC also hopes to include Bossier Schools’ talented artists program in creating a mural.

 “We’re looking for an Instagram-worthy place,” said MPC Director Carlotta Askew-Brown. “People look for places to go, and we want a new area to attract people, an area they can use and enjoy.”

The spot for the pocket park is owned by Bossier City, which gives the city an opportunity to beautify land that is currently going unused. 

“There is a park to the east, but it is mainly for sports and not readily accessible, so this is a small way to include green space that the city owns and is already maintaining,” Carlotta said. “This gives residents a little place to call home.”

This pocket park is part of a broader, ongoing initiative to enhance areas lacking accessible open green space through visible improvements, while also creating new entertainment districts that better connect the existing ones.

For example, the MPC wants to bridge the East Bank District to riverboat gaming and the Louisiana Boardwalk, and the residential areas that are currently separated from one another. There are discussions about a new entertainment district in South Bossier along McDade Street.

While the MPC is not tasked with these types of efforts, it is a way to engage with the community because they know it’s a need. 

“Do we have the time? No, but we make the time because it benefits the community,” said Carolina Blunck, assistant planner for the MPC. “We live here, so we see the need. Someone must take the first step in finding something to better our community.”

In order to accomplish these efforts, the MPC needs alternative funding sources. Funding depends on data to show why these efforts should be a priority, with all the other needs across the state. Then, the MPC has to apply for grants. 

“We are writing grants and finding other funding because we know the tax dollars are stretched. I am not a grant writer, but we’ve used what is accessible to us and gotten two grants,” said Carolina.

While success would be seeing dirt turn on these efforts, Carolina says the lessons learned are creating success. She explained that the MPC worked with the state to put together a grant package in little time and they learned a great amount in the process. 

‘We are pioneering an effort to improve the community and make it useable,” Carlotta added. “We’re looking at this with respect to our subdivisions and how they’re created. Maybe we look at requiring them to be 75% housing and 25% greenspace. We want to build Bossier to be a place people want to come and stay. We want amenities that people enjoy.”

The MPC learned that walkability and greenspace were important after the COVID pandemic. When people were at home and wanted to get out is when they had residents raise the issue of a lack of pedestrian walkways. 

Both Carlotta and Carolina say that this type of feedback is vital for their office.

“We love feedback. We need people to tell us what they need because we don’t see everything,” Carolina said.

Carlotta added, “If the community has ideas, we’re willing to entertain those and bring them on as a project because we’re a part of the community and want this to be a good place to live, work, and play.”

To share your ideas, call 318-741-8824 or fill out a form with comments or questions.