This week on Sustainability Now!, your host, Justin Mog, says “Yes For Parks!” with two champions for Louisville’s under-invested public parks, Brooke Pardue, Chair of the new Yes For Parks coalition and Vice President of Strategic Initiatives for the Parks Alliance of Louisville, and Harrison Kirby from the Community Foundation of Louisville. Learn more at https://www.forparkseducationfund.org Brooke Perry Pardue joined the Parks Alliance of Louisville in November 2017 as President/CEO after serving on the Board for five years. Under her leadership, the organization grew exponentially, investing more than $10 million in Louisville’s public parks with a focus on driving equitable investment to improve health and wellbeing for everyone. She also spearheaded Parks For All, a 15-year equity-focused master plan for Louisville Parks and Recreation. In 2026, Brooke passed the reins of the Alliance to a new CEO, but continues to serve as VP of Strategic Initiatives, working with a diverse array of community partners advocating for the creation of a voter-approved Park Fund dedicated to the capital needs and ongoing maintenance of the city's treasured public park system. Harrison Kirby joined the Community Foundation as Director of Strategic Initiatives in April 2023 and currently serves as the Executive Director of the Center for Data and Policy. At the Community Foundation, Harrison leads efforts to create community impact and engage philanthropic resources using data reports, policy advocacy, and strategic partnerships in alignment with the Foundation's vision for a Louisville that achieves racial equity and advances opportunity for all. Louisville Metro Government operates more than 120 parks and 13 community centers. They are vital public infrastructure serving people of all ages in every corner of Louisville. Yet Louisville spends significantly less on our public parks than peer cities — just $53 per resident vs. $150. The lack of investment is reflected in the 2026 Trust for Public Land ParkScore™ which ranks Louisville 95th out of the 100 most populous cities in the U.S. for the quality of our public parks. (Cincinnati is 5th and Lexington is 67th). Our Parks and Recreation Department estimates $177 million is currently needed for deferred maintenance. Despite increased investment in the last few years (mostly from now-depleted ARPA funds), we will never dig out of this hole at the current pace. Louisville voters may have the ability to create a dedicated funding source for city parks through a nonpartisan, community-driven effort to place a referendum on the ballot. If approved by voters, these protected funds would support parks serving neighborhoods citywide. This voter-approved solution will generate $18 million annually through a modest 0.0225% ad valorem adjustment — around $1 per week for the average homeowner — without new debt. These protected funds will transform parks serving people across our community. One of the Yes For Parks coalition members, the Greater Louisville Sierra Club, invites you to join them on Tuesday, July 21, at pm for their annual summer picnic at Douglass Community Center, 2305 Douglass Blvd. We will hear from Brooke Pardue, and Alice Bridges, Director of Strategic Initiatives for Parks Alliance of Louisville. GLSC meetings are always free and open to the public. Register at https://sierraclub.org/kentucky As always, our feature is followed by your community action calendar for the week, so get your calendars out and get ready to take action for sustainability NOW! Sustainability Now! is hosted by Dr. Justin Mog and airs on Forward Radio, 106.5fm, WFMP-LP Louisville, every Monday at 6pm and repeats Tuesdays at 12am and 10am. Find us at https://forwardradio.org The music in this podcast is courtesy of the local band Appalatin and is used by permission. Explore their delightful music at https://appalatin.com
