LOUISVILLE, Ky. — Researchers are using plants and greenery to transform alleys in Louisville, which are often tucked-away spaces that go neglected.

What You Need To Know

  • Researchers in Louisville are working to transform alleys in the city 

  • They are often tucked-away spaces that go neglected

  • Planting natives and other plants helped transform an alley

  • They found the mental well-being score improved slightly in a year

Researchers with UofL’s Envirome Institute and a plant nursery called Beargrass Thunder spent a year studying the correlation between mental health and making outdoor spaces cleaner.

Mariah Corso is one volunteer with Beargrass Thunder who helps spruce up an alley. She explained the transformation while digging in the soil to plant elderberry.

“Elderberry is one of our native fruiting plants,” Corso said.

Corso and Jody Dhamer helped lead the study since last summer.

“By planting thousands of flowers out here, we are studying pre and post to find out whether or not that can increase the well-being and happiness of the residents back here,” Corso said. “Even the people who did participate did not participate, saw noticeable changes in this alley.”

They found the mental well-being score of participants improved slightly in a year.

“The city was originally built to have these alleys to be walked up and down, to be utilized by our workers and to be really enjoyed by the people that live in the cities. And over the years, they’ve become scary places and unusable places for a lot of people. So it’s really about one helping nature and also really reclaiming the underutilized places by using place-making,” Corso said.

Sarah Bailey is one neighbor and participant. She’s seen the transformation of the alley before and now.

 

“It changes the feeling of the place. It makes it more habitable, I think. And I think it sends a message this is not just a piece of scrub,” Bailey said.

Lauren Anderson is the research manager at the institute. She said having places to go outside, garden and get some physical activity can improve heart health and reduce stress.

“When there are these types of studies, a lot of times we have very long timelines to look at the impacts. And so this is a really fast impact. So, you know, these plants have only been blooming for a few weeks,” Anderson said. “And so we don’t know if that mental well-being could improve more as people are used to being out here or using the space more.”

The researchers said, while they shared early data, they want more survey responses to their project. The survey will be open through August.

All efforts put alleys to transform hidden spaces in Louisville.

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