Midtown Metairie
An urban planning proposal for Louisiana's most populous unincorporated community — reimagining the commercial and civic core of Jefferson Parish's largest neighborhood.
Coming Soon — Full Proposal
The full Midtown Metairie proposal is currently in development. It builds on two major active planning initiatives — the Fat City Redevelopment ($13M CDBG) and the Clearview City Center conversion ($100M) — to envision a walkable, mixed-use urban center for an unincorporated community of over 140,000 residents.
Why Metairie needs a plan.
Metairie is the most populous unincorporated community in Louisiana and one of the largest in the United States. With over 140,000 residents, it would be the third-largest city in the state if incorporated — yet it has no mayor, no city council, and no independent planning authority. It is governed as part of Jefferson Parish, which makes coordinated urban planning uniquely challenging.
The built environment reflects this governance gap. Metairie is defined by auto-oriented commercial strips, surface parking lots, and single-use zoning — the hallmarks of mid-century suburban development. Veterans Memorial Boulevard, the community's central artery, is a six-lane arterial lined with strip malls, fast food restaurants, and office parks. There is almost no protected bike infrastructure, limited transit, and minimal public space.
But that is beginning to change. Two major projects — the Fat City Redevelopment and the Clearview City Center conversion — represent a once-in-a-generation opportunity to rethink what Midtown Metairie can become. This proposal aims to connect those dots: to show how these two catalytic investments can anchor a broader transformation of Metairie's commercial core into something more walkable, more connected, and more resilient.
Two projects reshaping the core.
Fat City Redevelopment
Community Development Block Grant-funded redevelopment of the Fat City entertainment district. The project aims to transform the aging nightlife strip into a mixed-use, walkable neighborhood with improved streetscaping, public lighting, and commercial facade improvements.
Clearview City Center
Major conversion of the former Clearview Mall site into a mixed-use town center with residential, retail, office, and civic components. The project represents the largest single investment in Metairie's urban core in decades.
What the full proposal will cover.
The Midtown Metairie proposal is organized around four interconnected categories. Below is a preview of the topics and recommendations under development.
Transit & Mobility
- Dedicated bus lanes on Veterans Memorial Blvd
- Protected bike infrastructure connecting Fat City to Clearview
- Pedestrian-priority zones in commercial cores
- Shared parking structures to reduce surface lot dependency
Mixed-Use Development
- Form-based code recommendations for Veterans corridor
- Missing middle housing typologies for residential streets
- Ground-floor commercial activation requirements
- Affordable housing set-aside framework
Public Space & Environment
- Linear park along Metairie drainage canal
- Community green spaces on underutilized parcels
- Urban tree canopy expansion program
- Stormwater management through green infrastructure
Governance & Identity
- Community identity and placemaking strategy
- Special taxing district feasibility analysis
- Coordinated development review process
- Long-term capital improvement framework
The full Midtown Metairie proposal is being developed with detailed mapping, policy recommendations, and design guidelines. Check back for the complete plan.