Allendale Strong works to protect and revitalize the Allendale neighborhood in Shreveport, LA, threatened by the proposed development of the I-49 Intercity Highway Connector (ICC), a 3.5-mile stretch of roadway designed to link two existing segments of I-49 north and south of the city at a projected cost to taxpayers of $1 Billion. The group began in 2012, educating neighbors about highways that decimated Black neighborhoods in previous decades, how sprawl devalued downtowns, and how some neighborhoods successfully resisted highway expansions.Taking inspiration from Dallas’s Klyde Warren Park and New Orleans’ Claiborne Avenue revitalization, Allendale Strong is working to transform their neighborhood with pedestrian-friendly spaces that boost economic growth while preserving cultural heritage. Through protests, community projects, and legal action, they equip residents to create change while building support among local politicians for their vision of a vibrant community with better public health and renewed civic pride.
A sidewalk squeezes next to the Evangeline Thruway. Photo by Robin May. Source: The Current.
“States are no longer building elevated freeways through cities; they are removing them,” Dorothy Wiley, President of Allendale Strong, testified recently before Louisiana’s House Transportation Committee. Allendale Strong was founded by Wiley, who moved to Allendale after being uprooted from New Orleans by Hurricane Katrina. The organization is a collective of members of the Allendale community, whose population of 5,000 residents is more than 90% Black. Although involved in a broad array of community projects, the group is currently focused on three main initiatives: opposing the ICC, improving SWEPCO Park, and developing a Business Boulevard to support local growth. Through partnerships with organizations like Community Renewal International and the Fuller Center for Housing, Allendale Strong has helped transform 30 blocks from the area’s most dangerous to its safest. Their efforts—including a new corner store, community garden, and leadership programs—have contributed to an 82% reduction in crime.
“Looking at where I live right now, it’s like they want to push us out farther and, well, it will gentrify the community,” said Dorothy Wiley, who opposes a proposed highway expansion near her home in Louisiana. Source: The New York Times.