Geography Reference
In-Depth Information
inhabitants each year, the population grew rapidly between 1990 and 2000 (+14%).
This growth, however, is very unevenly distributed among districts (see Figure 7.6).
The fastest growth was in the peripheral ring which is not included within the
incorporated city's limits (the suburban rural areas which did not constitute a
municipality) and is therefore directly administered by the county. The growth of
surrounding suburban cities is very fast while the population of the city center
remains static. Central neighborhoods and the northern part of the city of Baton
Rouge are losing population. Massive population growth happened mostly on the
southern and eastern fringes of the metropolitan area, especially south of Louisiana
State University, along the corridor of the Interstate I-10 heading towards New
Orleans, situated about 115 km away. This wave of growth overwhelmed the north
of Ascension County all the way to the city of Gonzales. The other area of strong
growth is in the isolated areas of western Livingston County, north of Denham
Springs. The situation is more contrasted in the eastern part of the greater city,
where declining and rising neighborhoods alternate, but these numbers are not
related to the massive wave of urbanization which runs south and east. Finally, it
should be noted that the urbanization of the three peripheral counties of the
metropolitan area is very fragmented, so they retain a predominantly rural landscape.
A comparison with the greater city of Orléans in France, considered locally to be
a very spread out urban area, shows just how much urban sprawl is present in the
United States (see Figure 7.6. and Table 7.4.). The metropolitan statistical area of
Baton Rouge is about 80% larger than the greater city of Orléans. It is also
somewhat less densely populated. Its population was only about 60% larger in 2000.
However, its population growth rate has increased significantly faster.
Study zone
Orléans*
Baton Rouge
Central city
+0.82% / year
+0.03% / year
Suburban communities* /
other incorporated areas
+0.94% / year
+1.73% / year
Suburban communities* /
unincorporated areas
+0.76% / year
+2.34% / year
MSA total
0.85% / year
+1.33% / year
Table 7.4.
Comparison of the average annual growth rate
of the population of Orléans and Baton Rouge
