LOUISVILLE — Louisville Metro’s Office for Safe and Healthy Neighborhoods (OSHN) is getting a competitively issued $100,000 “Love Your Block” grant from the national Bloomberg Center for Public Innovation that will be used to clean and/or transform blight in 18 troublesome Shawnee neighborhood alleys.
“Love Your Block” is a national, high impact initiative for reducing blight and inspiring neighborhood-driven change. Locally, the grant will fund an array of Shawnee neighborhood revitalization projects to improve public areas, promote safety, strengthen neighborhood connectedness, and champion environmental justice.
Proof and studies have shown that blight removal is a factor in reducing gun violence and other criminal activity, improving mental health, and decreasing concerns with personal safety.
“Blight is often used for criminal activities,” said Paul Callanan, OSHN director. “Unmaintained areas give residents there a daily reminder of the lack of investment in their neighborhoods. That can be demoralizing and erode one’s pride in addition to negatively impacting their personal health and safety concerns.”
“While this is not a million dollar grant, we know it will have such an impact in the Shawnee neighborhood.”
The Shawnee neighborhood project of 18 alleys will be led by a Love Your Block fellow who will be tasked to lead volunteer recruitment and community engagement in what is a resident-driven initiative.
In tandem is an AmeriCorps member who will work directly with Shawnee residents to help ensure projects there are aligned with community needs and that they contribute to sustainable, long-term improvements.
By Spring 2025, many of the targeted 18 alleys will be transformed into clean, functional green spaces where neighborhood-invited vendors can conduct Saturday “Alley Markets.”
Other cleaned alleys will be transformed with art installations or made into places to accommodate neighborhood connectedness.
OSHN is in partnership with the city’s Public Works and Codes and Inspections departments for heavy trash removal, graffiti cleanup and beautification.
A 2021 study by the Urban Institute showed that efforts to eliminate blight strengthen social cohesion among residents and increased their civic involvement, all leading to greater trust in governance.
On Nov. 20, a team from OSHN will do the first scouting of selected Shawnee neighborhood alleys and go door-to-door in those areas informing residents of the first set alleys slated to be transformed.
The other winning cities for 2024 are: Allentown, Penn.; Baltimore; Charleston, S.C.; Columbia, Mo.; Dallas; Durham, North Carolina; Evanston, Ill.; Falls River, Mass; Gary, Ind.; Little Rock, Ark,; Long Beach, Calif.; Port St. Lucie, Fla.; Rapid City, SD; Reno, Nev.; and San Bernardino, Calif.
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