Louisville Loop Master Plan loopmasterplan_draft_041813sm_0 | Page 7

CHAPTER
1
Introduction
“When we build, let us think that we build forever. Let it not be for present delight, nor for present use alone; let it be such work as our descendants will
thank us for; and let us think...that a time is to come when men will say, ‘See, this our fathers (mothers) did for us!’ – John Ruskin
The Louisville Loop Master Plan
The purpose of the Louisville Loop Master Plan is to expand this vision and define the cohesive elements and role of the entire system by providing
a central location of information for the overall project that is available to citizens, elected officials, project managers, planners, users of the Loop,
developers and others. It provides a context for the Loop within the history and growth of Louisville. It summarizes the elements of previously produced
contributing documents and planning elements of the Loop and offers data, terms and background to build knowledge about trail alignment, design
issues, the transportation network, maintenance and management, funding options, project prioritization and so on.
At the turn of the 20th Century, leaders in Louisville engaged the father of American landscape architecture, Frederick Law Olmsted, to design a legacy
park system to be connected by a series of shared-use parkways. Over a century later, these 18 parks and five parkways provide the framework of a
world-class park system. And, they provide inspiration for the Louisville Loop. This Master Plan document is the centerpiece for the implementation
and sustainability of the Loop as a legacy project.
The Loop Master Plan and work on the Loop is guided by the Louisville Loop Strategic Plan and its five goals:
• Build Community Engagement
• Encourage Health and Wellness
• Maintain and Conserve
• Encourage Sustainable Development around the Loop Corridor
• Ensure Funding to Develop and Sustain the Loop
History of the Louisville Loop
Setting the vision for the Louisville Loop began in 1993 when more than 600 people worked together in a seven-year effort called Cornerstone 2020
under then County Judge Executive David Armstrong. The outcome was a call to transform our city into a community that brings people together in liv-
able communities with a distinct sense of place. In 2003 this call was heard by Mayor Jerry Abramson as the first mayor of the merged city and county
governments. In 2011, it was carried forward by Mayor Greg Fischer into the twenty-five year vision for Louisville.
Lousville Loop Master Plan
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