$1 million donation will help U of L transform downtown Louisville green space

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) -- A $1 million pledge from the Trager family will turn Founders Square in downtown Louisville into an urban green space with native trees and plants.

The Trager family donated the money to the University of Louisville's Christina Lee Brown Envirome Institute. The money will be used to turn Founders Square — at 5th Street and Muhammad Ali Boulevard — into an outdoor laboratory to research innovative ideas in urban greening.

It will be known as the "Trager Micro-Forest Project," building on the Envirome institute's work with the Green Heart Project.

"The Trager Micro-Forest Project is a transformative project connecting people with nature, starting in the heart of our city," Michael Trager-Kusman said in a news release Thursday. "The members of our family are honored to support learning about the impact of scientifically planned and planted green spaces in the city we love."

The project will allow researchers to gather data that helps city planners integrate nature into city-spaces.

"The Envirome Institute is committed to the health and vitality of downtown Louisville, which is why we're establishing our New Vision of Health Campus downtown at Fifth Street and Muhammad Ali Boulevard," Aruni Bhatnagar, director of the Christina Lee Brown Envirome Institute, said in a news release Thursday. "The Trager Micro-Forest Project is not simply a beautification project. It is a scientific project, which will be the first of its kind in our region of the country."