Project Title: Downtown Health Corridor Connectivity and Walkability Study 

Background:

The UofL Envirome Institutes’ Urban Design Studio is working with key stakeholders to develop strategies to improve the pedestrian experience downtown while finding ways to connect UofL activity nodes including the UofL Medical Campus, New Vision of Health Campus, the 515 Building, and the JD Nichols Campus for Innovation and Entrepreneurship (see attached map).

Through collaborations within the University of Louisville and strategic partnerships with Gresham Smith and other organizations, the UDS looks to build off the last two years’ empathic design studies to continue to develop and refine baseline analysis of the stress points in and along the connective corridors. This includes evaluating the built environment along the refined corridor scope area, identifying opportunities to incorporate amenities that improve health and create a more pedestrian friendly environment for everyone.

Working with University of Louisville faculty and staff, Louisville Metro, and community members, the intern team will help build out and refine existing data layers and built environment research to identify issues and inform future efforts to redevelop and reimagine the health corridor streetscape as an enjoyable and healthy walking destination.

Interns will be able to learn and use Geographic Information Systems (GIS) applications, measure the quality of the built environment, develop health related metrics, utilize Gresham Smith’s MPATH: Empathic Insights platform, work with environmental data collection, and help identify how partner organizations might use data for community improvement.

Objective(s):

●      Through empathic data collection, better understand the stress points in the streetscape and public realm of Downtown Louisville

●      Better understand the quality and factors that make up the downtown streetscape and public realm

●      Utilize the data collected to inform the development of potential solutions to the built environment

Key Stakeholders:

●      Metro Louisville

●      Louisville Downtown Partnership

●      Downtown Businesses, Residents and Property Owners

●      Design Professionals

●      Mike Sewell of Gresham Smith

Training/Tools Needed:

●       MPATH: Empathic Insights by Gresham Smith

●       ArcGIS

●       Environmental sensors for meteorology, air quality, noise, and vehicle movement data

Additional Resources:

●      Measuring Urban Design: Metrics for Livable Places (book)

Number of Students: 4 College

Key Mentor: Patrick Piuma

Project Owner: Faisal Aqlan

Project Lead: Faisal Aqlan