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Navigating Louisiana's $250B surge: Former state leaders headline 2026 Smart Growth Summit
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BATON ROUGE — Two decades after Hurricanes Katrina and Rita forced Louisiana into a historic rebuilding effort, the state faces a new defining moment—this time driven by an unprecedented wave of economic growth.
More than $250 billion in new private investments have landed in the state since 2024, spanning massive developments like a $50 billion Meta data center, a $100 billion SpaceX spaceport, an $18 billion Amazon expansion and major LNG terminals.
According to Louisiana Economic Development, Louisiana currently leads the nation in announced capital investment for the year.
To address how to convert this industrial influx into long-term community benefits, former Gov. John Bel Edwards and former New Orleans Mayor Mitch Landrieu will host a major panel at the 2026 Louisiana Smart Growth Summit on Thursday in downtown Baton Rouge.
The conversation, moderated by Center for Planning Excellence President & CEO Camille Manning-Broome, will focus on how the state can responsibly navigate infrastructure demands, power grid pressures, freshwater availability and ongoing population decline amid climate change impacts.
The two-day summit (Oct. 21–22) at the Manship Theatre also marks the 20th anniversary of CPEX, which was founded in 2006 to guide post-disaster planning across the state. Additional summit highlights include an opening keynote by MacArthur Fellow Majora Carter on Wednesday, and specialized sessions on housing, energy and transportation.
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