SMOKETOWN-BALLARD PARK

525 E Caldwell St. Louisville, KY 40203

ABOUT BALLARD PARK

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Ballard Park has been part of Louisville's Smoketown neighborhood since 1919, when the Ballard family donated the land to the city. During segregation, it was one of the only parks open to Black residents, with a wading pool, sports courts, a playground, and a pavilion. Over the years, redlining and urban renewal hit the surrounding neighborhood hard, tearing down historic homes and pulling investment away from the community. The park itself remained, but it hadn't received any capital investment in more than two decades before the Parks Alliance got involved.

HOW THE PARK BECAME OUR #1 PRIORITY

In 2023, the Parks Alliance released the Parks For All Action Plan. Our experts assessed every park in the system alongside the neighborhoods they serve, weighing factors like population density, historic inequities, environmental burdens, and community health. That analysis let us focus on the highest-need parks in the neighborhoods that stand to benefit most from investment in public greenspace. Smoketown-Ballard sat at the top of the list.

That priority was also informed by the fact there was a deadly shooting in Ballard Park in 2021, which led to the formation of the Smoketown Anti-Violence Coalition. The Parks Alliance joined the coalition in 2023, working with residents, community organizations, and faith leaders whose top goals were to improve the park and secure a much-needed community center. Blueprint 502 completed the Smoketown Community Center in 2025, and in June 2026 the Parks Alliance, in partnership with Louisville Parks and Recreation, opened a completely reimagined park.

COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT

The reimagined Smoketown-Ballard Park reflects what's possible when community voices drive how we design and invest in public greenspaces. Between 2023 and 2025, the Parks Alliance conducted community engagement to determine park amenities, rename the park, and honor Smoketown's history. We gathered input through events, meetings, mailed surveys, online surveys, and outreach with local organizations, flyers, yard signs, social media, and newsletters.

While the park's original deed requires "Ballard" to remain in the name, 81% of residents who weighed in supported a change. The new hyphenated name, Smoketown-Ballard, honors both.

COMMUNITY OUTREACH

Ballard Park Engagement

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NEIGHBORHOOD DEMOGRAPHICS

Our mission is to dedicate more financial resources to deliver fundamental park and recreation services to underserved neighborhoods to drive equitable investment and elevate the well-being of our community.

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