Whitney Hoffman Sayal, AICP
As Executive Director for the Baton Rouge Downtown Development District in (DDD), Whitney Hoffman Sayal is responsible for carrying out the mission to initiate, incubate, and support partnerships that develop and enhance Downtown Baton Rouge. Hoffman Sayal previously worked over eight years for the DDD as Development Project Director, assisting with project management of special initiatives, forming and maintaining partnerships with the public and private sector, formulating policies and procedures to implement projects, developing and managing marketing and public relationship initiatives, evaluating and updating downtown ordinances and city codes, developing grant application and reporting materials, implementing bicycle and pedestrian programs and infrastructure, and furthering the vision outlined for downtown in various Downtown Master Plan documents.
Under her leadership, the DDD and the East Baton Rouge City-Parish (EBR-CP) have received several grants that funded public spaces and bicycle and pedestrian projects including the Downtown Greenway and River Road. Many of the projects she has worked on at the DDD have been recognized/awarded at the local, state, and international levels. These projects include Yazoo Plaza, North Boulevard Town Square, Repentance Park, The Crest, City Hall Plaza, Central Green, Florida Riverfront Access, Downtown Greenway, and River Road.
Whitney Hoffman Sayal has planning experience and knowledge of community and urban planning, architecture, and landscape architecture systems that she gained from her professional work and education. She has a professional bachelor’s architecture degree from Louisiana Tech University and landscape architecture master’s degree from Louisiana State University Robert Reich School of Landscape Architecture. Hoffman Sayal is a professional planner, certified by the American Planning Association since 2012. In addition to her work at the BR-DDD, she gained professional experience in the private, non-profit, and government sectors managing multiple types and scales of projects, plans, and programs.
In addition to advocating for and stewarding downtown development, Whitney Hoffman Sayal serves as a volunteer for a variety of groups and organizations both at the state and local level. She has served as the chair of both the EBR-CP Complete Streets Citizens Advisory Committee and Historic Preservation Commission. Her most current board appointment is with Partners Southeast, an organization that provides and develops quality housing opportunities for individuals and families while promoting self-sufficiency and neighborhood revitalization. Ms. Hoffman Sayal also contributes significantly to of the American Planning Association Louisiana Chapter (APA-LA), having served for 10 years on the Executive Committee as Secretary, Vice-President, and President. As President, she wrote an extensive Policy and Procedures Manual and as Vice-President, she created and led the Legislative Committee, advocating for public policy that supports sound planning principles and informing her chapter members about pending legislation impacting the planning profession. In both her roles as Vice-President and President she met annually with state representatives in Washington, DC advocating for policy and funding to enhance Louisiana’s communities. She has further expanded her advocating role with the International Downtown Association, advocating for federal and state funding focused on increasing residential opportunities and stabilizing post-pandemic impacts in downtowns across the country.
Contact Whitney at w.hoffmansayal@brla.gov
