Federal Sustainability Partnership at Work with Louisville Metro Government and Fern Creek Citizens

[Photo 1: A member of the Sustainable Communities Initiative Team shows a resident the location on a map of where a center could be placed.]
A member of the Sustainable Communities Initiative Team shows a resident the location on a map of where a center could be placed.
 [Photo 2: The Sustainable Communities Initiative Team members gather ideas for the evening presentation.]
The Sustainable Communities Initiative Team members gather ideas for the evening presentation.

The federal Interagency Partnership for Sustainable Communities (Partnership) is an initiative of the US Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), and the US Department of Transportation (DOT) aimed to apply smart growth principles to new and existing communities. The Partnership joined with the Louisville-Jefferson County Metro Government (Louisville Metro) when it received an EPA Smart Growth Implementation Assistance Grant that was one of only four awarded in the country at that time.

[Photo 3: Many maps and other illustrations were on display and made available during the workshop.]
Many maps and other illustrations were on display and made available during the workshop.
Fern Creek, a community located within Louisville, Kentucky, is the study area that will benefit from the technical assistance of that grant. In part, the assistance is provided to educate residents and stakeholders on how to apply smart growth principles (http://www.epa.gov/smartgrowth/tisg.htm) to their rapidly growing suburban community, which still has many scenic views of family farms. The Partnership and Louisville Metro recently held a Sustainable Communities Design Workshop in Fern Creek. Citizens participated in this important 3-day educational forum intended to inform the process of creating transportation, housing, walking and shopping choices while preserving the environment. Development and construction are sure factors in the growth of the area, but citizens and stakeholders can work together to plan for future growth that is sustainable and livable.
[Photo 4: Residents listen to Scott Mingonet of Kimley-Horn and Associate, Inc., at an evening presentation about implementing smart growth strategies.]
Residents listen to Scott Mingonet of Kimley-Horn and Associate, Inc., at an evening presentation about implementing smart growth strategies.

Armed with the new knowledge of smart growth principles, citizens and stakeholders began the process of providing their input on topics such as: density and the concept of sustainable centers, transportation, zoning, regulatory issues, housing types, green space preservation, and green infrastructure. Louisville Metro and the Partnership members were on hand at every session to help answer questions and provide input when needed. Also present throughout the 3 days were graduate students from the University of Kentucky's College of Design. These students were instrumental in providing sketched examples of various mixed-use centers. In turn, it provided the residents with additional illustrative examples of how smart growth could be implemented in future development within Fern Creek. Residents and stakeholders now have more educational tools to use that will help them decrease urban sprawl, preserve green space, and assist in the shaping of the future development within the Fern Creek area.

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Content Archived: February 18, 2014