Shaping Community Spaces with Purpose

Alberta O. Jones Park

Client

Parks Alliance of Louisville

Location

Louisville, KY

Expertise

Civil Engineering & Landscape Architecture

Services

Landscape Architecture, Civil Engineering, Public Engagement, Planning, Electrical Engineering, Experiential Design & Wayfinding

Contact Us

Alberta O. Jones Park is the product of decades of work, community planning and public-private partnerships to transform a former FEMA disaster area into a vibrant public park for nearby residents of a West Louisville neighborhood. Gresham Smith led the master planning for its second phase of construction as a part of our ongoing work with the Parks Alliance of Louisville.

This 20-acre site, once a low-income residential area severely impacted by flooding in 2009, was transformed into public green space following a FEMA buyout. The Louisville Metropolitan Sewer District (MSD) and Parks Alliance collaborated to acquire the properties, paving the way for revitalization. Named after Alberta Odell Jones, a pioneering attorney and civil rights champion whose first law office was just blocks away, the park honors her legacy through a community-centered design.

A Multiphase Process 

The first phase of park construction—on 5 of the site’s roughly 20 acres—began in 2023 and celebrates the community’s unique culture and heritage through a playground, walking paths and pavilions for community events. Gresham Smith has developed a final concept for the second phase of the park’s remaining 15 acres that will be broken up into sections within the street grid, each with a different focus, based on extensive community feedback. 

The Lawn and The Fields 

The largest portion, known as “The Lawn,” acts as the park’s welcoming entrance and features sports amenities including tennis and pickle-ball courts, along with open fields and pollinator meadows. Adjacent to this, “The Fields” offer expansive multi-purpose space for community events like festivals, markets and sports leagues.

The Hills 

The tremendous popularity of the playground in the first phase of the project led the design team to create a section of the park dedicated for children aged 5 or under complete with playful landscape features and rain gardens. 

The Farm 

Addressing local food insecurity, “The Farm” serves as an agricultural innovation hub with garden beds, hoop houses and an outdoor kitchen, managed by community stakeholders. The area around the Parks Alliance’s office, termed “Odell House,” will be converted into a rentable event venue to support park funding and host private donor functions without impacting public areas. Together, these elements create a versatile, community-driven park experience. The park is opening in phases as fundraising and construction is completed. 

1 / 1