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CREATIVE CITY NEWSLETTER: SEPTEMBER 2001

ISSUE 3: REGIONALISM

ISSUE IN FOCUS: Regionalism
NEWS YOU CAN USE: Finding Funding on the Web
CREATIVE CORNER: Golf with a Purpose
COMMUNITY SPOTLIGHT: Louisville, KY
Bi-State Initiative in Kansas City, MO
Creative City conference

COMMUNITY SPOTLIGHT: LOUISVILLE, KY

What Makes Louisville Livable?

What U.S. city comes to mind whose attributes consist of: outstanding health care facilities; an acclaimed arts community; a variety of sports and recreational opportunities among others? You may be surprised. Dynamic and vibrant, Louisville is ranked as one of the most livable communities in the U.S. In fact, Louisville scores consistently high ratings in surveys ranging from "Best Places to Live in Your 20's and 30's" to "America's 20 Best Places to Live and Work." Click here for more >>

Louisville has placed a high priority on quality of life for its residents. Mayor David L. Armstrong organized the Louisville Downtown Housing Initiative to address the lack of market-rate housing in downtown. The mayor's goal was to strengthen downtown as the region's premier place to live, work and play. The dilemma was that very few people live downtown. With only one-third of downtown's 3,000 residential units being market-rate, the private housing market needed assistance in the form of gap financing to spur the creation of downtown housing and build a critical mass of market-rate units to strengthen the base.

Additionally, in a creative reuse of underutilized warehouses, Louisville has created a mixed-use downtown technology corridor, which they've dubbed E-Main USA. The plan was hatched following a focus group in Silicon Valley for high-tech workers in which Louisville participated. The workers were asked what attractions they looked for in a city. Leaders took this advice and abandoned buildings are being retrofitted with restaurants, coffee shops, cyber cafes and more-all open 24 hours a day.

It should come as no surprise to find that the creativity doesn't end with city planning. Erroneously overlooked as a source of high culture, Louisville is actually one of only six cities in the U.S. that has a resident professional opera, theater, ballet, orchestra and children's theater companies. Furthermore, Louisville capitalizes on local artistic talent to further improve the quality of life for its residents. Local organizations like Artopia and the Louisville Visual Art Association bring communities, arts and cultures together through outreach and education programs for all ages.

Since its creation, the city of Louisville has made a habit of reinventing itself. Today, Louisville retains its character as a strategic midpoint for commerce and culture drawing on its native creativity to remain a vibrant, if not surprising, treasure. Don't overlook this truly livable city…take a look at what Louisville has to offer.

Contributed by Kimberly Niebauer at Partners for Livable Communities. Kimberly is a graduate student at The George Washington University School of Business and Public Management.