A Unified Development Code (UDC) is a single document/ordinance that regulates development in a government jurisdiction. It combines zoning and subdivision regulations with other development-related guidelines, such as design restrictions, landscaping standards, sign regulations, infrastructure requirements and water management, as examples.

Bossier City and Bossier Parish have a Unified Development Code (UDC) that is the same for the city and the parish. Shreveport has a UDC and Caddo Parish has a similar, but differing, UDC. The Metropolitan Planning Commission (MPC) for Bossier and Shreveport/Caddo are separate governmental entities that are responsible for comprehensive planning and orderly development including monitoring and enforcement of their respective UDCs.

Several of the recommendations in the just released Cities Work SMALL BUSINESS INSIGHTS AND POLICY RECOMMENDATIONS REPORT for the City of Shreveport deal with Shreveport MPC/UDC/ZONING OFFICE. This is not surprising to those that have closely followed the Shreveport ordinance since adoption, to  citizens trying to navigate the UDC and  to the many professionals who must work within the parameters of the UDC.

To say that Shreveport's UDC is a complex and confusing document/ordinance is an understatement. When this planning document was prepared an expensive out to town firm was hired to prepare a unified development code. Rather than review the Bossier UDC which had been on the books for 20 years and modify it for Shreveport,  this firm used as its template the development code of the city of Chicago. Needless to say, the final adopted draft of the Shreveport  UDC has been very difficult to navigate  and comply with from the beginning. And it still is despite numerous amendments that seemingly added more red tape than clarity.

Without getting down into the weeds,  a simple comparison  of the two UDCs is indicative of their complexity. The Bossier UDC has 18 articles, which are sections. The Shreveport UDC has 25 articles/sections. The Bossier UDC has 100 subsections/sub-articles. The Shreveport UDC has 177 subsections/sub articles. These counts are based upon the respective UDCs listed with Municide. It’s likely that the Shreveport UDC  has MORE than this count simply because it is frequently amended each year. Currently there are UDC amendments pending before the Shreveport City Council.

For many years, business people, especially those with small/emerging business, have emphatically and repeatedly stated that its much simpler to do business in Bossier City than Shreveport. This constant cry means that Bossier City is business friendly while Shreveport is not undeniably having merit as evidenced by the above referenced report as well as business and population growth in Bossier versus Shreveport.

The real challenge is that the Shreveport MPC is a separate legal entity funded by both Shreveport and Caddo Parish. The MPC is governed by the members of the MPC Board who hires its executive director and approves its budget. Other than cutting funding the City of Shreveport and the Shreveport City Council have no clout with the MPC. There are some in the building and business community who think Shreveport should set up its own planning commission and start over with its UDC--like just adopt the Bossier UDC and modify it only when absolutely needed.