Shreveport Perspective from an Outsider Might Surprise You

Rachel Fisher has spent the past 10 weeks in Shreveport as part of the Bloomberg Harvard City Leadership Initiative, working alongside Mayor Tom Arceneaux’s administration to tackle one of the city’s most stubborn challenges...blight.

Fisher, an urban planner, was matched with Shreveport through the program, which pairs graduate students with cities that have recently completed Bloomberg Harvard training. Her role? Focus entirely on understanding how blight is perpetuated here and recommend practical steps to break the cycle.

Boots on the Ground in Shreveport

When Fisher first arrived, she didn’t start with a clipboard and orders, she started by listening. “For the first several weeks, I was just present,” she explained. That meant attending city council meetings, neighborhood gatherings, and environmental board sessions, as well as meeting with residents and stakeholders not directly tied to City Hall.

Her aim was to gather every perspective possible, building a clearer picture of the roadblocks slowing revitalization efforts and identifying where different city functions intersect.

More Than Just a Blight Story

While her assignment focused on neglected properties, Fisher said her experience here was far from bleak. “The people are so kind,” she said. “That gives me a lot of hope. Shreveport has a community that is ready to rally around big issues.”

She also pointed to the city’s historic architecture as both a challenge and an opportunity. Many buildings in disrepair could be restored, preserving the unique history newer cities can’t match.

The Shreveport Urban Sprawl Question

One of Shreveport’s toughest long-term problems is its footprint. Fisher noted the city’s land area is larger than Detroit’s, yet population density has shifted away from the urban core. Neighborhoods close to downtown have lost residents to suburban developments, making it harder to sustain resources and community connections.

To reverse that trend, she suggests investing in infill housing, adding new homes in existing neighborhoods to bring people and activity back toward the center. Areas like Highland and Allendale, she says, are already seeing promising work in that direction.