ST. MARTIN PARISH — The St. Martinville Vision Plan is an initiative that aims to enhance everything from the historic Main Street and local neighborhoods in St. Martinville, Louisiana.
Graduate students, fourth-year architecture students, and faculty from the University of Louisiana at Lafayette (UL) are actively seeking input from residents to shape the future of the community.
Cameron Mouton, a fourth-year architecture student involved in the Vision Plan, emphasizes the importance of community feedback for the project "As architects, we really just want to build the community, take feedback from everyday people to see what they need in life, and also to improve their lives," he stated.
This collaborative effort is part of a longstanding initiative that connects UL’s Community Design Workshop with LA Louisiane Consulting.
The Community Zone Workshops, operational for nearly three decades, serve as a platform for the School of Architecture to engage with local residents.
Tom Sammons, a professor of architecture at UL and director of the Community Zone Workshop, highlighted the workshop's purpose: "We will get their feedback on a variety of projects we’re working on."
Current projects under consideration include the addition of sidewalks and improved access to healthy food options.
Chasity Alfred, another fourth-year architecture student, has prioritized the need for fresh produce in local neighborhoods. "We’ve been focused on bringing fresh produce to the neighborhoods, given that there will be new developments in that area," she explained. "Through the process of looking through the neighborhoods, there are not many produce options."
Sammons further emphasized the importance of community feedback in guiding the workshop's focus. "We sort of synthesize those comments, add those back into the design, and continually adjust our project as we move forward," he says.
The success of the St. Martinville Vision Plan preview event is contingent upon community involvement Sammons explains, "They’re the special sort of ingredient into the recipe to make this have a permanent impact in their community."
The public is invited to participate in the Vision Plan preview event, which will take place at the Sterling Alexander Building in Adam Carlson Park on Wednesday from 6:00 to 7:30 PM. This meeting provides an opportunity for residents to engage in the planning process and contribute their insights toward a shared vision for St. Martinville's future.
