Louisville Olmsted Parks & Parkways System / Hertitage Landscapes



Park & Parkway Systems

Louisville Olmsted Parks & Parkways System
Louisville, Kentucky

The remarkable system of Louisville Olmsted Parks and Parkways, was designed by Olmsted, Olmsted & Eliot and Olmsted Brothers from 1890-1938. Heritage Landscapes has contributed preservation landscape architecture expertise to eleven master plan and implementation projects since 1992. This legacy faces a broad range of historic integrity and contemporary functionality issues.

Heritage Landscapes, as part of the multi-disciplinary master plan team, approached Cherokee, Shawnee , and Iroquois Parks and the 14 mile-parkway system as a complex, unique public landscape legacy integrating history, ecology, contemporary use, management and maintenance. The master plan envisioned sustainable environments-parks that support natural resource diversity and health, safeguard historic character and resources, and provide for diverse recreation and maintainability. Additionally, Heritage Landscapes served as a landscape preservation consultant on multiple public and privately funded planning and implementation projects. At Cherokee Park , Heritage Landscapes helped to recapture the historic, scenic, ecological and functional values of the park through Barringer Creek, Spring, and Overlook Hilltop projects. At Iroquois Park, our expertise aided in addressing use, scenery and resolving long-standing drainage degradation on the Burnt Knob and we contributed to the renewal of the Iroquois Amphitheater. At Shawnee Park new playing fields provided desirable facilities while freeing the Great Lawn to recapture the spacious greensward. A section of parkway along the park frontage was constructed and planted in accordance with our parkway guidelines. Our park system wood signage design was used at all three parks for several projects focusing on projects and visitor information. The 2006 team project addressing planning and implementation of a bicycle trail along the parkway corridors epitomizes the ethics of sound stewardship and full contemporary use. Heritage Landscapes collaborated on the Chickasaw Park Master Plan project. Local and professional project awards have affirmed project excellence.

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Client:
Louisville Olmsted Park Conservancy & Metro Parks

Projects + Credits:
Heritage Landscapes, Preservation Landscape Architects & Planners for Louisville Parkways Bicycle Trail Plan, HNTB, Gresham Smith, team leaders 2006; Cherokee Park Barringer Spring and Cherokee Park Barringer Hill, PDR Engineers and Environs/RLA, 1999-2002 ; Chickasaw Park-Master Plan Environs/RLA, 2001; Iroquois Park Amphitheater Rehabilitation Planning, 1999; Shawnee Park-Playing Fields, Service Building, Western Parkway frontage, PDR Engineers and Andropogon Associates Overlook Walk and Vistas Environs RLA 1998; Cherokee Park-Barringer Spring, Barringer Hill Overlook, Drive and Playground, PDR Engineers and Environs/RLA 2001, Bear Grass Creek 1995 Andropogon Associates; Iroquois Park-Hilltop Meadow Basins, Paths and Shelter Andropogon, Amphitheater Landscape Renewal Environs RLA 2000; Louisville Olmsted Parks & Parkways Comprehensive Master and Management Plan, Andropogon Associates, Ltd, 1994.