LOUISVILLE DOWNTOWN PARTNERSHIP LAUNCHES CITYSPOTS INITIATIVE

Publication Date: 09-20-2023

MEDIA CONTACT:

Bryn Alston

(502) 614-4122

LOUISVILLE DOWNTOWN PARTNERSHIP LAUNCHES CITYSPOTS INITIATIVE

New Placemaking Program Aims to Reimagine and Reinvent Public Spaces in Downtown

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (September 20, 2023) – Today, Louisville Downtown Partnership (LDP), Mayor Greenberg, and members of the 2022 Bingham Fellows class unveiled a new placemaking program and the first CitySpot site in Downtown Louisville near 5th and Jefferson Streets adjacent to Metro Hall.

The CitySpots project, borne out the Bingham Fellows Class of 2022, is an urban design initiative which transforms under-utilized sidewalks, plazas, and public areas into a network of welcoming and pedestrian-friendly urban spaces. Each CitySpot will encourage social interaction, community building, and civic engagement in a reimagined outdoor space.

“Public space is an important part of how visitors, residents, and employees interact and connect with our Downtown,” said Rebecca Fleischaker, executive director of LDP. “Through the new program, people are encouraged to rediscover the art of hanging out and enjoy previously under-utilized spaces throughout the Downtown area.”

The new CitySpot site at 5th and Jefferson takes advantage of an oversized and under-programmed sidewalk and green space, now housing patio furniture, umbrellas, and flowerpots on freshly painted pavement and crosswalks that enhance connectivity and vibrancy.

“I’m proud to welcome the first CitySpot installation at the corner of 5th and Jefferson, just steps away from key centers of employment in our city, including Metro Hall, 500 West, Humana and PNC Tower,” said Mayor Craig Greenberg. “The CitySpot spaces will serve as a convenient space for visitors, residents, and downtown workers to meet, work collaboratively, mingle, and enjoy a meal or a coffee. CitySpot promotes one of my top priorities of creating a healthier city and a more vibrant downtown.”

Each year, a new cohort of Leadership Louisville Center’s Bingham Fellows addresses a timely and significant regional issue. With the 2022 topic of “Downtown Moving Forward: Adapt and Reinvent,” the CitySpots group created a program in concert with LDP in order to ensure that the program would remain sustainable.

“Since the program’s creation in 1988, Bingham Fellows classes have been working to address our community’s most complex issues and unite diverse voices toward action,” said Cynthia Knapek, president and CEO of the Leadership Louisville Center. “We’re proud of the outcomes of the Class of 2022, who came together to focus on the areas hard-hit by the pandemic and create a more vibrant urban core. It’s another example of what elevated civic engagement can do to solve 21st century problems.”

“Our group galvanized around the fact that there are outdoor spaces downtown that are not living up to their full potential,” said Nikki Carver, member of the Bingham Fellows team and vice president at Chase, sponsor of the initial CitySpot. “The CitySpots program will foster a network of welcoming spaces and urban surprises. Think of them as pocket porches around downtown where people can gather to eat, meet or just relax.”

CitySpots are funded through donations and designed with the help of LDP staff and former Bingham Fellows class participants. The 5th and Jefferson site was made possible through donations from Chase Bank; JLL; Boel, Stopher & Graves; Messer Construction; Gresham Smith; LDG Development; 500W; and E-Z Construction.

For companies and organizations interested in sponsoring a CitySpot, please visit this page or contact (502) 584 – 6000.

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About LDP

LDP’s mission is to improve the economy of Downtown Louisville by promoting the redevelopment, vitality and economic growth of the Central Business District and surrounding areas and to improve Downtown’s quality of life by creating a safe, clean and enjoyable environment.

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