Meeting the Challenges

The world is changing*

Louisville can plan for the changes or be overtaken by them. Yesterday’s vision will not meet tomorrow's challenge. Louisville needs visionary leadership with a plan.

Portland, Oregon Streetcar

Louisville will meet the challenges of the twenty-first century by:

• developing a great public transit system before building any new Ohio River bridge
  (8664 - River Fields - Build the Bridges Coalition) (Tolls)
• establishing an urban services boundary (Louisville Loop - 21st Century Parks)
• investing in the education of our children, not in a fleet of school buses
• making our streets safe enough to walk and bicycle
• giving school assignment preferences to students who will walk and/or bicycle to school
• reducing public infrastructure subsidies for new fringe neighborhoods
• developing a low energy, a clean energy, diverse, strong economy
• reducing our local economy’s huge fuel dependency (Cheap, plentiful fuel)
• investing in our urban center
• creating a city center that is liveable, not just a place to work and then party til dawn
• investing in the liveability of our established neighborhoods
• improving affordable housing within our neighborhoods
• reducing mobile source pollution of air and water
• reducing impermeable surfaces
• increasing urban gardening/agriculture
• supporting and diversifying regional agriculture
• leading state government to change law and funding mechanisms supportive of this agenda
• backing up our unequivocal message to Frankfort with unwavering commitment within Metro government

• World human population is rapidly approaching 7 billion.
• Global climate change will result in the dislocation of many of that 7 billion.
• Billions live below “the poverty line”.
• Current material consumption levels are unsustainable.
• The fulfilled aspirations of the impoverished billions will further increase material consumption.
• The unfulfilled aspirations of the impoverished will not result in an outpouring of good will toward those who are better off.
• Foundational life supporting organisms are threatened by increasing ocean acidification.
• We are beginning to experience a lack of equilibrium in the global economy.
• Carbon taxes are approaching.