UofL unveils downtown Louisville microforest project

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) -- A new microforest project opened Tuesday, bringing more green space to downtown Louisville.

The city held an event Tuesday morning to announce the completion of phase one of the Trager MicroForest and reopening of Founders Square on West Muhammad Ali Boulevard between 5th Street and Armory Place.

The Trager family pledged $1 million for the project in 2022. A 30-year lease with Louisville Metro Government allows the Christine Lee Brown Envirome Institute at the University of Louisville to use Founders Square as an outdoor lab for research and urban planning.

They will study the city's urban heat island and how plants can affect the temperature and our health.

"We want to do things that make a difference in the world, and I would think that this is one example of actually making things that are in the real world, making a difference in the lives of real people," Aruni Bhatnagar, director of the Envirome Institute, said during Tuesday's event.

Crews added walking paths, sitting areas and hundreds of trees and shrubs to the park.

To read more about the project, click here.

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