What We Do

Louisville Grows is a nonprofit organization working to create greener, healthier neighborhoods in Louisville. We want to grow vibrant, sustainable communities by promoting urban horticulture and advancing health equity. We envision a city where every neighborhood has access to clean air, shade, and green spaces that improve quality of life.

Through our Urban Forestry Program, we’re rebuilding Louisville’s tree canopy one neighborhood at a time. By partnering with community members and volunteers, we plant and care for trees that cool our streets, clean our air, and bring natural beauty to our neighborhoods. With a goal of planting 1,000 trees each year, we’re committed to restoring the canopy and creating a healthier, more resilient Louisville for everyone.

Our Urban Horticulture Program supports community members, gardens, and parks by providing the tools, technical assistance, and education they need to thrive. By strengthening these shared green spaces, we help neighborhoods grow fresh, healthy plants while building connections and resilience.

At the Healthy House, our programs, workshops, and classes focus on healthy living, healthy eating, environmental education, and environmental equity. This community hub is a space for learning, collaboration, and action—empowering residents to live healthier lives while caring for the environment.

Cultivating a skilled, community-based green workforce through hands-on training in conservation, urban forestry, and sustainable horticulture - creating pathways to meaningful careers, stronger neighborhoods, and a greener Louisville where every resident has a role in shaping a healthy, resilient city.

A new partnership between Kentucky State University’s College of Agriculture, Health, and Natural Resources, Louisville Grows, and Blueprint502 is helping advance that work by expanding access to training in conservation, urban forestry, horticulture, and community agriculture, and by investing directly in the people who live and work in the community.

Through this collaboration, Kentucky State’s Cooperative Extension teams will work alongside Louisville Grows to deliver hands-on, experiential training that equips residents with marketable skills, strengthens local workforce opportunities in the green economy, and supports ongoing environmental restoration efforts in Louisville.

Kentucky State University’s Cooperative Extension team will provide expertise in curriculum development, credentialing, and program evaluation. Louisville Grows will lead community engagement efforts, drawing on more than a decade of experience in urban forestry and community agriculture. Together, the partners aim to prepare adults for meaningful careers while communities benefit from stronger food systems and resilient landscapes.

Louisville Grows will support participants as they gain practical experience throughout the city and surrounding areas in conservation, tree planting, orchard development, greenhouse management, soil restoration, and sustainable agricultural practices, contributing to a healthier urban environment. This initiative represents a shared commitment to advancing environmental equity and economic opportunity in Louisville. By combining education, research, and community action, Kentucky State University and Louisville Grows are planting the seeds for more resilient neighborhoods, a stronger workforce, and a more sustainable future for the city.

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Why It Matters

Louisville Grows’ outreach extends to all of Jefferson County. However, our focus audience is on serving 21 neighborhoods in the west and south of Louisville. The Urban Heat Island Effect most impacts these neighborhoods due to the loss of their tree canopy, and they are experiencing food insecurities.

A 2015 study by Dr. Brian Stone of the Georgia Institute of Technology on urban heat identifies Louisville as having one of the fastest-growing urban heat island effects in the nation. These effects are most pronounced in neighborhoods lower on the city’s socioeconomic scale, whose canopies are especially deficient. This leads to higher energy usage and health disparities, including heat-related illness and death, all of which disproportionately affect Louisville’s poorest residents. The Urban Heat Management Study, commissioned by Louisville’s Office of Sustainability, recommends planting trees as a highly effective way to combat these issues. Besides mitigating heat, trees clean the air and soil, absorb stormwater runoff, reduce utility bills, increase property value, and enhance the urban environment's beauty. While a 45% urban tree canopy is recommended, the average tree canopy in the neighborhoods we serve is only 15-22% and Louisville is losing roughly 54,000 trees per year.

At the same time, these neighborhoods are the ones suffering from food insecurities, including a lack of grocery stores and access to fresh, healthy foods. Access to nutritious food is a necessity for a healthy and prosperous lifestyle. Research has shown that a balanced diet is crucial for maintaining healthy physical and social development. According to the Greater Louisville Project, Louisville currently ranks 5th among its peer cities in food insecurity, with 16.1% of residents experiencing food insecurity. Additionally, Louisville ranks 2nd in rates of children who live in a household experiencing food insecurity, with a rate of 17%. The USDA defines food insecurity as lacking enough food for an active, healthy lifestyle for all members of the household.

Cleaner Air

Filtering particulates and producing oxygen

Stormwater

Soaking up storm water, lessening flooding

Connected Communities

Improving social cohesion

Neighborhood Pride

Building a stronger collective identity

Socioeconomic Benefits

Reducing home energy costs

Diverse Ecosystems

Increasing habitat for native species

Mental Health

Inspiring cooler attitudes

Physical Health

Creating a more walkable neighborhood

Cooler Streets

Providing shade to streets and sidewalks

Our History

Louisville Grows was founded in 2009 by a group of “guerrilla gardeners” gathering to make seed bombs in their living rooms. Their goal was to spread the importance of greening our community. This marked the beginning of Louisville Grows' assistance to community groups and individuals on their journey towards sustainability.

Join us in improving Urban Forestry and Urban Horticulture in Louisville by donating today!

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