Center for Planning Excellence

What Center for Planning Excellence does

Center for Planning Excellence (CPEX) is a Louisiana nonprofit planning organization founded in 2006 in Baton Rouge in the aftermath of Hurricanes Katrina and Rita, led since 2018 by President and CEO Camille Manning-Broome. It provides comprehensive planning services, technical assistance, and policy guidance to more than 75 Louisiana cities, towns, and parishes, as well as state agencies including CPRA, LED, the Division of Administration, and the Governor's office. Core service offerings include small area plans, institutional campus plans, Complete Streets demonstration projects, climate resilience plans, site design, bike and pedestrian connectivity plans, facilitation, and stakeholder engagement, supported by a suite of proprietary toolkits (Louisiana Land Use Toolkit, Coastal Louisiana Land Use Toolkit, Rising Above climate manual, Coastal Community Resilience Planning Guide) and engagement tools (Water You Gonna Do? game, Neighborhood Bingo, COVID-19 Recovery Insights Platform built with UrbanFootprint).

CPEX operates a nonprofit revenue model combining fee-for-service planning contracts with Louisiana government entities, an eight-tier membership program (Friends $249 to Excellence $25,000), donations via its NationBuilder page, and event revenue from the annual Louisiana Smart Growth Summit. Go-to-market is sales-led and direct: the organization engages municipal leaders and state agencies through partnerships (BRAF, LSU AgCenter, AARP Louisiana, CONNECT coalition, STAC) and convenes via its annual summit. Geographic scope is single-state (Louisiana only), with the organization's primary defensibility grounded in regulatory proximity, ecosystem depth, and a long-running branded content library rather than technology or product IP.

Name

Center for Planning Excellence

Legal name

Center for Planning Excellence

Website

https://cpex.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2006

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Center for Planning Excellence is a Baton Rouge-based nonprofit providing comprehensive planning services, technical assistance, and policy guidance to 75+ Louisiana communities, parishes, and state agencies, with a focus on climate resilience, Complete Streets, and sustainable development.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Baton Rouge

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Others

Revenue model

1. Planning Services and Technical Assistance: CPEX provides fee-for-service planning, policy guidance, and technical assistance to communities, parishes, and state agencies throughout Louisiana.
2. Membership Program: CPEX operates a membership program with tiers including Excellence ($25,000), Champion ($10,000), Investor ($5,000), Leader ($2,500), Builder ($1,000), Partner ($500), Advocate ($250), and Friends of CPEX ($249).
3. Donations and Contributions: CPEX accepts donations through its website (cpex.nationbuilder.com/donate) to support operations and community programs.
4. Event Revenue: The annual Louisiana Smart Growth Summit brings together policymakers, planners, and community leaders, potentially generating revenue through registrations and sponsorships.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels11 records

Core offering

Center for Planning Excellence (CPEX) is a nonprofit planning organization that provides fee-for-service planning, technical assistance, and policy guidance to Louisiana communities, parishes, and state agencies. Its core offerings include urban, rural, and regional planning services such as small area plans, institutional campus plans, Complete Streets demonstration projects, bike and pedestrian connectivity plans, site design, plan implementation strategy, facilitation, and stakeholder engagement. The organization also produces a library of toolkits, manuals, and digital tools supporting sustainable development, climate adaptation, and coastal resilience.

Product overview

CPEX is a nonprofit organization that offers a portfolio of planning services and tools for Louisiana communities. Its core offering is comprehensive planning services at local/neighborhood and regional/parish scales, encompassing small area plans, Complete Streets projects, and stakeholder engagement. These services are supported by a suite of digital and printed tools and resources including the Louisiana Land Use Toolkit, Coastal Louisiana Land Use Toolkit, Water You Gonna Do? game, Rising Above Climate Change Adaptation Manual, Coastal Community Resilience Planning Guide, and the COVID-19 Recovery Insights Platform. The organization also hosts the Louisiana Smart Growth Summit as a signature annual event. The product ecosystem enables communities to create and implement plans addressing transportation, infrastructure, environmental sustainability, and built environment design.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Planning Services Comprehensive planning services including small area plans, institutional campus plans, plan implementation strategy, site design, bike and pedestrian connectivity plans, Complete Streets demonstration projects, facilitation and workshop design, and stakeholder engagement and education, delivered to Louisiana communities and government entities.
• Louisiana Land Use Toolkit A resource providing model standards for planning sustainable communities, along with hands-on tutorials delivered through LA Realtors throughout the state. Developed in partnership with Louisiana Economic Development (LED).
• Coastal Louisiana Land Use Toolkit A resource providing strategies and model standards for sustainable development and flood risk reduction in vulnerable coastal areas, developed in partnership with the Coastal Protection and Restoration Authority (CPRA).
• Water You Gonna Do? Game A game designed to help local leaders consider how land use and policy decisions affect flood risk in their communities and regions.
• Rising Above: Climate Change Adaptation Manual A publication for communities in Louisiana addressing the needs of residents, local governments, and state entities to adapt to future climate conditions and reduce risks.
• Coastal Community Resilience Planning Guide A free online resource providing tools for communities to assess vulnerabilities, develop strategies, and prioritize actions that build long-term resilience.
• COVID-19 Recovery Insights Platform A platform developed in partnership with UrbanFootprint, food banks, and local organizations to understand pandemic effects on housing, employment, and food insecurity; identify areas of growing need; and enable targeted resource allocation.
• 20-Minute Neighborhood Bingo Challenge An engagement tool used to engage Baton Rouge residents in thinking about their neighborhoods, published nationally and used across the country.
• Louisiana Smart Growth Summit An annual statewide gathering of policymakers, planners, and community leaders advancing sustainable development, spotlighting priorities like equitable housing, resilient infrastructure, and sustainable land use. Features keynotes, panels, and hands-on workshops.

Quantifiable outcome

• 75+ communities impacted across Louisiana
• +6 more outcomes

Named customers8 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature9 records

Partnerships

Twelve partnerships are on record, tiered core, minor and major.

• Louisiana Clean Energy FundcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2023CPEX and BRAF co-developed the Louisiana Clean Energy Fund, a 'Green Bank' designed to attract private investment and federal resources to support low-carbon, climate-resilient infrastructure in disinvested areas.
• Avondale Global GatewayminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2023CPEX's PowerUp Louisiana initiative included a visit to Avondale Global Gateway in Louisiana as part of exploring renewable energy opportunities. CPEX educated state leaders on wind turbine technology.
• PowerUp LouisianamajorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2023PowerUp Louisiana initiative engaged stakeholders to explore renewable energy opportunities, including hosting the Power of Wind Tour in Rhode Island and visits to wind facilities.
• Louisiana Division of AdministrationcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2022CPEX partnered with the Louisiana Division of Administration to help create the Office of State Planning to support comprehensive planning at the state level and provide assistance to local governments.
• UrbanFootprintmajorTechnology or Integration · 1 January 2020CPEX partnered with UrbanFootprint, food banks, and other local organizations to develop and deploy the COVID-19 Recovery Insights Platform to understand the pandemic's effects on housing, employment, and food insecurity; identify areas of growing need; and enable targeted resource allocation.
• LSU AgCentermajorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2017CPEX began a partnership with the LSU AgCenter to provide community planning and design focused on improving health outcomes in high-need rural parishes.
• Coastal Protection and Restoration Authority (CPRA)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2012CPEX partnered with CPRA to launch the Coastal Louisiana Land Use Toolkit, providing strategies and model standards for sustainable development and flood risk reduction in vulnerable coastal areas.
• AARP LouisianamajorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2012CPEX and AARP Louisiana formed the Sustainable Transportation Action Committee (STAC) to advocate for safer streets for bicyclists and pedestrians and improved transit in Baton Rouge. Together they developed the Complete Streets Policy adopted by Baton Rouge Metro Council.
• CONNECT CoalitionmajorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2012CPEX formed the CONNECT coalition, bringing together partners from across the Baton Rouge-to-New Orleans super region to develop and implement policy to improve multi-modal transportation options throughout the region and the state.
• Louisiana Economic Development (LED)majorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2007CPEX and LED released the Louisiana Land Use Toolkit, providing model standards for planning sustainable communities, as well as hands-on tutorials with LA Realtors throughout the state.
• Louisiana Recovery AuthoritycoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2006CPEX partnered with the Louisiana Recovery Authority to produce Louisiana Speaks, a regional plan reflecting resident preferences for storm protection, coastal restoration, transportation, economic development, and housing. This initiative involved more than 27,000 residents.
• Baton Rouge Area Foundation (BRAF)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 1998BRAF hired CPEX founder Elizabeth 'Boo' Thomas to lead Plan Baton Rouge in 1998. The two organizations co-developed the Louisiana Clean Energy Fund in 2023 as a 'Green Bank' designed to attract private investment and federal resources for low-carbon, climate-resilient infrastructure.

Scale indicators10 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• American Planning Association: National professional association for urban and regional planners. Comparable as the leading voice in the planning profession, though APA operates as a membership society rather than a service-delivery nonprofit.
• Urban Land Institute: Global, established nonprofit focused on responsible land use and real estate development. Comparable mission around sustainable community building but serves a much broader and more commercial audience than CPEX.

Emerging players

• UrbanFootprint: Planning analytics platform that partnered with CPEX on the COVID-19 Recovery Insights Platform. Comparable in addressing urban planning and data-driven community resilience, with overlapping use cases in housing, infrastructure, and scenario planning.

Direct peers

• Smart Growth America: National nonprofit advocating for equitable, sustainable land use, complete streets, and climate-resilient community planning. Highly comparable to CPEX's mission and toolkits, but operating at the federal level rather than a single state.
• Congress for the New Urbanism: National nonprofit advocating for walkable, mixed-use, transit-oriented planning and policy. Comparable mission on Complete Streets, placemaking, and sustainable community design aligned with CPEX's toolkits.
• PlaceMakers: Planning consultancy specializing in form-based codes and community revitalization. Comparable as a planning-services provider focused on community-scale implementation, though operating at a national scale rather than state-level.

Regional players

• The Water Institute of the Gulf: Louisiana-based applied research nonprofit focused on coastal sustainability, flood risk, and resilient infrastructure. Highly comparable to CPEX on coastal resilience, climate adaptation, and Louisiana-specific mission alignment.
• Greater New Orleans Foundation: Louisiana-focused philanthropic foundation supporting equitable regional planning, housing, and resilience post-Katrina. Comparable as a regional convener funding and shaping planning outcomes across Louisiana communities.

Others

• Baton Rouge Area Foundation: Regional foundation that co-developed the Louisiana Clean Energy Fund with CPEX and historically incubated the organization. Comparable as a community-development funder and convener across the Baton Rouge region, though not a direct planning-services competitor.
• Government Alliance on Race and Equity: National network advancing racial equity in local government planning and policy. Comparable as a nonprofit working alongside local governments on equitable planning outcomes, though not a direct services competitor.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/CPEX_LA
• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCwsJulzfaIWOLEo3gvPHNaA
• Facebookfacebook.com/centerforplanningexcellence
• Instagraminstagram.com/cpex_la

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Center for Planning Excellence