An initial study was undertaken to determine the intrinsic characteristics and physical patterns of Avery Island in Louisiana. The island, which was first settled in the early 1880’s and still used by the ninth generation of the original settlers, is  privately owned and managed, but is currently under pressure

to accommodate new development and increased population. Through isolating and mapping important elements and layering these elements in different combinations, the most defining characteristics of the island were identified in order to begin to guide future development.