SUMMARY BACKGROUND

CAPITAL REGION ON THE RISE:

STRATEGIC INVESTMENTS FOR A RESILIENT ECONOMY

 

  • Hut 8 AI Data Center ($12B, 1,500–2,000 jobs): Establishes West Feliciana as a high-tech and AI infrastructure hub.
  • Hyundai Steel Facility ($5.8B, 5,400+ jobs): Boosts green manufacturing and skilled workforce in Ascension Parish.
  • CF Industries Ammonia Plant ($4B, 414 jobs): Positions Ascension Parish as a global leader in low-carbon industrial production.
  • Entergy Grid Upgrade ($400M): Enhances regional grid resilience and reliability for homes and businesses.
  • John H. Carter Co. ($69M): Advances industrial excellence and innovation in Gonzales.
  • Capitol City Produce ($22M): Strengthens Baton Rouge’s distribution network and logistics capacity.

To advance a resilient and inclusive regional economy, CRPC’s Comprehensive Economic Development Strategy (CEDS) establishes targeted goals, objectives, and action plans across seven strategic focus areas. These priorities—Education, Workforce Development, Health, Land Use, Economic Opportunity, Economic Resilience, and Broadband—serve as the foundation for guiding investment, shaping policy, and strengthening long-term regional prosperity. Together, they complement CRPC’s dual-track planning approach, ensuring that data-driven analysis is matched with community-centered vision.

For more in-depth data and analysis on the Capital Region, please explore the Digital CEDS Interactive Data Center:

https://crpcla.digitalceds.com/interactive-data-center/

 

Detailed information and supporting documentation for each of CRPC’s seven strategic focus areas can be accessed through the links below:

EDUCATION

The CRPC region’s education sector plays a crucial role in fostering economic development, social mobility, and regional resilience. This CEDS analyzes key educational indicators, examining their impact on the CRPC region’s economic and social dynamics.  

Supporting Documentation:

WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT

The Capital Region Planning Commission (CRPC) is focused on strengthening workforce development by addressing labor force participation, out-commuting trends, the impacts of an aging population on economic sustainability and location quotient measures. This CEDS analyzes workforce data from various sources, including line graphs, bar diagrams, tables, and pie charts. The key areas of focus are labor force participation rates, old-age dependency ratios, geographic workforce distribution across the region and the industry and jobs concentration in the region.

Supporting Documentation:

 https://crpcla.digitalceds.com/workforce-data-analysis/

https://crpcla.digitalceds.com/workforce-swot/

https://crpcla.digitalceds.com/workforce-goals-objectives/

HEALTH

The Capital Region Planning Commission (CRPC) is analyzing healthcare access across various parishes to identify areas of need and improve health outcomes. This CEDS examines healthcare availability, including Health Professional Shortage Area (HPSA) scores, Health Professional Shortage Area Full-Time Equivalent (HPSA FTE) scores, Maternity Care Target Areas (MCTA), health outcomes, behavioral health risks, socioeconomic determinants, and environmental factors impacting healthcare access in the CRPC region. The analysis draws on data from the Bureau of Health Workforce and County Health Rankings & Roadmaps, covering 11 parishes in the CRPC region. In addition, healthcare is a key sector within the capital region; therefore, additional emphasis is provided herein.

Supporting Documentation:

https://crpcla.digitalceds.com/health-analysis/

https://crpcla.digitalceds.com/health-outcomes/

https://crpcla.digitalceds.com/behavior-risks/

https://crpcla.digitalceds.com/determinants-of-health/

https://crpcla.digitalceds.com/environmental-living-conditions/

https://crpcla.digitalceds.com/health-swot/

https://crpcla.digitalceds.com/health-goals/

LAND USE

The Capital Region Planning Commission (CRPC) conducted a land use analysis to evaluate disparities in employment and housing distribution across the region. This CEDS assesses housing availability, infrastructure needs, and land-use patterns in high-risk areas, providing a data-driven approach for sustainable development.

Supporting Documentation:

https://crpcla.digitalceds.com/land-use-data-analysis/

https://crpcla.digitalceds.com/land-use-swot/

https://crpcla.digitalceds.com/land-use-goals/

ECONOMIC OPPORTUNITY

The CRPC region faces significant unequal economic opportunity challenges, particularly in rural areas and parishes with high poverty, unemployment, and reliance on income assistance. By addressing these issues through focused economic development, poverty reduction, and infrastructure investments, the CRPC can work towards a more equitable and prosperous future for all residents.

Supporting Documentation:

https://crpcla.digitalceds.com/equity-data-analysis-2/

https://crpcla.digitalceds.com/equity-swot/

https://crpcla.digitalceds.com/equity-goals/

ECONOMIC RESILIENCE

The Capital Region Planning Commission (CRPC) is focused on improving economic resiliency by addressing vulnerabilities related to natural hazards, social disparities, air quality, and disaster preparedness. This CEDS integrates insights from the Community Resiliency Rating, Social Vulnerability Rating, Expected Annual Loss (EAL), Community Rating System (CRS), and Air Quality to provide a comprehensive overview of resilience across the CRPC region. These factors are critical in determining the overall capacity of communities to withstand, adapt to, and recover from disruptions such as natural hazards.

Supporting Documentation:

https://crpcla.digitalceds.com/resilience-data-analysis/

https://crpcla.digitalceds.com/resilience-swot/

https://crpcla.digitalceds.com/resilience-goals-objectives/

BROADBAND

The Capital Region Planning Commission (CRPC) aims to evaluate broadband access across various parishes in the region to address digital inequities and improve connectivity for unserved and underserved populations. This CEDS analyzes broadband coverage, current providers, digital illiteracy, and socioeconomic factors influencing broadband access in the parishes under the CRPC’s purview.  

Supporting Documentation:

 https://crpcla.digitalceds.com/broadband-analysis/

https://crpcla.digitalceds.com/broadband-swot/

https://crpcla.digitalceds.com/broadband-goals/