LOUISVILLE, Ky. – Neighbors working together for change. That’s the concept of the Neighborhood Summit. The one-day conference, hosted Saturday, brought together community members and leaders to showcase ways to improve the neighborhoods around them.

“We’re really starting to build a network of people who span the county; who have the same desire to really improve their community and the city at large,” said Mikal Forbush. He helped coordinate the event and is the Education and Engagement Director for the Center for Neighborhoods, the non-profit that hosted the conference.

Approximately 200 people attended the keynote speaker and breakout sessions. One of the workshops was DIY Urbanism. It taught attendees how they can spruce up public spaces. Projects mentioned are as simple as planting a tree to more complex undertakings, such as helping a local food truck host a pop-up event.

“It’s really about community members. It’s about residents, not necessarily those professional, practicing urban planners, [but] really changing the look and feel of their neighborhood,” said Hannah Crepps, who hosted the workshop and is the Planning and programs Associate the Center for neighborhoods.

If you missed the conference, but live in Louisville and want to know more, Center for Neighborhoods offers a free 12-week leadership training program called the Neighborhood Institute. The next session starts in spring 2020. For more information on the program, call 502-589-0343 or email education@centerforneighborhoods.org. You can also visit the Center for Neighborhoods website. 

For more info on DIY Urbanism, Crepps recommends to visit Better Block Foundation.