Our Services

Urban & Regional Planning, Floodplain Management
Elevating the invisible lines that shape our lives

  • Master and/or Comprehensive plans including action plans and implementation matrices to support immediate action, including area studies, master site plans and developments, future land use planning and maps, housing studies, multi-modal assessments, community revitalization plans, climate adaptation strategies, safe streets for all plans, and long-term resilience strategies

  • Local economic development initiatives including development and implementation support for special financing districts, commercial overlays and use studies, targeted market studies, and business incentive programs, and private fundraising support (oftentimes aligned with grant application supportive services)

  • Development of resilient and adaptive zoning overlays to require elevated housing and resilient building practices, land use studies to reduce densities in flood prone areas

  • Floodplain management support and training, including open-source (free) CRS reporting tools developed by Desire Line, CRS recertification and cycle visit assistance, CAV visit support, Repetitive Loss Area Analyses, Flood Damage Prevention Studies, Resilient Housing Plans, model floodplain ordinance drafting and updates, and floodplain and repetitive loss mapping guidance

  • Stormwater management support including stormwater management ordinance drafting and updates, regional watershed master plans and modeling, and MS4 program assistance

  • Stormwater control measures and fee studies, landscaping regulations, green infrastructure, low-impact development alternatives, and innovative floodplain management practices and reporting support

  • Local code drafting, including graphics and design standards, landscaping, multifamily housing, missing middle housing, short-term rentals, use standards, content neutral sign codes, land use studies, staff reports, planning and zoning permit review, public hearing facilitation

  • Development and updates of future land use maps and official zoning maps

  • Community and stakeholder outreach and engagement

  • Development of PPI materials and PPI implementation

  • Coastal Use Permit application and management

  • Aerial drone imagery to support understanding of current and desired land use patterns and their context

Grant & Program Management
Making every dollar count

  • Grant strategy development and recommendations in alignment with identified local needs

  • Scoping and preparation of grant applications including budget, statement of need, maps and graphics, and letters of support

  • Grant program development and management including rule and policy-making, program policy and procedure development, program launch, fund distribution, procurement, project evaluation, selection and award, compliance, monitoring, and closeout

Disaster Response & Recovery Support Services
A team built from public service focused on protecting the community’s interest when it matters most

  • Disaster preparedness planning, including risk & vulnerability assessments; FEMA guided emergency operation plans, command structures and responsibilities; communication and coordination protocols, essential partnerships, training; and resource management and planning

  • Federal program navigation support, including FEMA's Public Assistance (PA) (infrastructure), Hazard Mitigation Grant Program (HMGP) (future risk reduction), and Community Development Block Grants (CDBG-DR) (long-term community needs)

  • Pre- and post-disaster EOC support, including emergency operations standard operating procedures (SOPs) and communication plans, as well as in person emergency operation centers assistance through Incident Action Plan formulation, asset tracking, procurement assistance, cost tracking, WebEOC expertise, and overall administrative reinforcement

  • Post-disaster FEMA National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) compliant Substantial Damage Determinations and Estimates, including initial damage surveys; field data collection and coordination; GIS services; local dataset review and resolution; housing market valuation analysis; dataset and photograph consolidation & bulk analysis; and drone services for validation

  • FEMA Substantial Damage Letter Distribution, including full end-to-end support for required FEMA SDEs including field data collection, recommended determinations, and preparation of letters to owners of all impacted structures

  • Cumulative damage calculations across multiple events and areas

  • Post-disaster staff augmentation and training for long-term damage assessment reporting and permit review and issuance, floodplain management, code enforcement, planning and zoning, elevation certificate records retrieval and digitization

  • Ongoing FEMA coordination and reporting, including direct assistance with producing and submitting required documentation

  • Community engagement and recovery program assistance, including assistance in organizing community outreach initiatives to aid affected populations, including supporting housing assistance and economic revitalization programs

Government Administrative Support
We are in this together

  • Historic Preservation services including; completing historic surveys, preparing National Register of Historic Places applications, developing preservation grants, preservation plans for historic districts, downtown revitalization plans, and small area and corridor plans for municipalities and parishes

  • Issue-specific direct support and/or training series to enhance local capacity building for new administration, planning commissioner, police jury or council member and staff, re: grants development, code enforcement, planning, floodplain management

  • Project and capital improvement planning, procurement and procedures development, implementation support and assistance

  • GIS map development, data maintenance, file digitization, and data cleanup in support of improved data-based decision-making

  • Code Enforcement Administrative support, re: case review, attendance at adjudication hearings, supporting field staff determinations, updating relevant ordinances for enhanced efficiency

  • Local floodplain management assistance, mentorships, and trainings

  • Document management and records retention policy and implementation support

Outreach & Engagement
Clear and predictable processes maintain trust and build consensus

  • Development of well-balanced, trust-based community Outreach & Engagement processes

  • Outreach materials to share information, build knowledge, and combat misinformation including through project websites, email campaigns and social media, presentations, tabling at community events, fact sheets, graphics, yard signs, and more

  • Engagement tools to facilitate two-way communication and collaboration with community members, stakeholders and elected officials through an iterative, shared process including effective and inclusive community workshops, focus groups, project steering committees, stakeholder interviews, open house Q&A sessions, teen engagement, community surveys, interactive maps, Facebook polls and consensus building with diverse interest groups at all project stages

  • Outreach and Engagement services are part of all Desire Line projects or can be a standalone service to support client and community needs

Strategic Implementation Services
Advancing smarter solutions unique to our time

  • Strategic, adaptation-specific research, analysis, and implementation leadership and support​

  • Business development and public service-oriented web-based automation services, online mapping, and focused integrations to work smarter, save time, and better utilize limited resources​

  • Advancement of co-developed solutions through thoughtful collaboration, partnership alignment, and task-specific, multi-year plans shaped by stakeholders where all partners have clear actions and directives

Evelyn Cade Campo, CFM, Deputy CEO - Desire Line

“We appreciate what makes your local places and people unique.”