The Trager MicroForest project will be unveiled on Tuesday, May 13 — just in time to provide some much-needed shade + releaf on those scorching summer days.
The $1 million project has turned Founder’s Square — a pocket park between 5th Street + Armory Place along Muhammad Ali Boulevard — into a densely packed forest, lined with new walkways and paths.
A dedication ceremony is planned from 11 a.m.-1 p.m. with music, a food truck + tree giveaways. A scientist will also be on hand to answer all your environmental-related questions. Louisville Mayor Craig Greenberg is expected to deliver remarks about the project at 11:30 a.m.
Planting the seed
The project comes from The University of Louisville’s Christina Lee Brown Envirome Institute, which is leasing the space from the Metro Government for the next 30 years. It’s been in the works since 2022, when the Trager family donated $1 million to the cause.
“We want to reimagine our city center as a vibrant urban forest. The Trager MicroForest Project is not just about redesigning Founders Square, it is a catalyst and a living laboratory for pioneering green initiatives,” Patrick Piuma, director of the Envirome Institute’s Urban Design Studio, who is overseeing the project, said ahead of the project’s groundbreaking. “By integrating nature, we are learning how to tackle extreme weather and promote a healthier urban core. We’re not just planting trees; we are looking at a new vision of health that harnesses nature’s ability to rejuvenate our community.”
Planting on the site took place last fall, and crews have been pruning plants and adding final touches this spring ahead of next month’s big reveal.
Help for our heat island
It’s been more than a decade since a study found that Louisville had one of the fastest-growing urban heat islands in the country. The additional heat from the city’s urban core not only makes us sweat more, it leads to costlier utility bills and can cause serious health problems, especially for some of the city’s most vulnerable residents.
The canopy provides coverage to about 39% of Louisville, but areas such as the Central Business District have significantly lower coverage. Officials hope that the new microforest — along with a number of ambitious tree-planting initiatives — can increase tree coverage in our city to at least 45% in the future.
Grab your shovel
In June 2015, the city also launched TreesLouisville to deliver on a vision of making Louisville a greener, healthier, more livable city. Since that time, TreesLouisville has planted + distributed nearly 20,000 trees. If you’ve got a green thumb, consider lending a helping hand.
