For the past three weeks, 89.9 WFPL News has asked the public to weigh in on ideas to make Louisville a better place to live, work or play. And they had a lot of suggestions — everything from serious concerns about development, affordable housing, the economy and school safety to ideas about environmental equity, health care innovations and quality-of-life issues.
You can check out the full data set here, or see the top issues visualized below.
This data will inform stories from the WFPL newsroom all year, but first, we want to hear more from you. We’re convening four in-person Community Conversations to keep the dialogue going about four major topics that emerged during the Virtual Town Hall: climate change, police and public safety, homelessness and transportation.
These events aren’t your typical panel discussion; they’ll hinge on audience participation, with WFPL moderators guiding the conversation. For each, we’ll pose a question, gather thoughtful ideas and share a recap at the end. We’ll also invite key community leaders and subject-matter experts to join us and weigh in with relevant information and observations.
Here’s what’s planned:
Monday, March 9 at 6 p.m. – Northeast Regional Library:“What realistic measures can and should Louisville officials take in the next six months to combat climate change?”
Wednesday, March 11 at 6 p.m. – Southwest Regional Library: “What needs to happen to foster good relationships between police and all Louisvillians?”
Monday, March 16 at 6 p.m. – Main Library, Centennial Room: “What are innovative ways to address the growing homeless population in Louisville?”
Wednesday, March 18 at 6 p.m. – South Central Library: “What does an equitable transportation system look like in Louisville?”
RSVP via the links above, and we hope to see you there!
The Next Louisville is a collaboration between 89.3 WFPL News and the Community Foundation of Louisville, exploring issues of consequence to our city and its future. Additional support has been provided by the Gheens Foundation.