Parks for All: Metrowide Equity-Driven Park Investment Plan

A compelling campaign for equitable investments in Louisville’s Parks & Recreation system  

The Process: Charged with developing a data-driven methodology to encourage increased and equitable investments in Louisville’s park system, our work started with a site-by-site analysis of each site within Louisville Parks & Recreation’s portfolio. We designed two system-wide on-site spatial surveys and trained Louisville’s Parks and Recreation staff to administer them, yielding a baseline for measuring change going forward. In addition to current park conditions, we analyzed patterns of past investment, and we coupled this data with an assessment of community context including socioeconomic, environmental, and public health factors. Ultimately, we blended the site-specific park need data with the community context data to provide a prioritized list of sites for capital improvements. Beyond the capital improvement plan, final deliverables included rehab, maintenance, and programming strategies grounded in public priorities identified through a statistically-valid metro-wide survey.

Results: The plan aims to raise awareness about the level of need across the park system, making the case for new resources to fuel improved operations and more equitable distribution of funds in the neighborhoods and parks that need it most. Adopted in 2023 at the start of Mayor Greenberg’s administration, the plan paved the way for notable budget increases for Parks and Recreation operating expenses and will serve as a road map for the Department’s recently named Director.