INTRO		TIMELINE		ABOUT THIS REPORT

Introduction

In the year leading up to the historic merger of Louisville and Jefferson County government in 2003, The Greater Louisville Project commissioned a broad assessment of the competitive status of the new Louisville Metro and the challenges it faced. The aim was to stimulate the development of a civic agenda that would move Louisville into the top tier of American cities. Two years after merger, it is time to reassert that agenda, committing to enhancing Louisville’s competitive position and establishing it as one of the truly distinctive American cities.

Beyond Merger: A Competitive Vision for the Regional City of Louisville resonated powerfully and widely when it was released. It tapped into the same aspirations for progress that led voters to approve the merger referendum in 2000. It brought into focus challenges that had long been understood and put them into the context of a national Competitive Cities Agenda based on research into the qualities and characteristics that distinguish cities in the competition for people, talent, and prosperity. It also revealed some new, discomforting issues, and drew consistent praise for “telling it like it is.”

More than 1,000 citizens turned out for initial briefings on the report. Dozens of community groups requested presentations report. Dozens of community groups over the following two years. More than 15,000 copies of the report and its summary have been put in circulation, and it is routinely cited in public discourse on a wide range of topics.

Prepared by The Brookings Institution Metropolitan Policy Program, Beyond Merger connected the dots across key sectors of community life – education, economic development, community assets and amenities, neighborhoods, family supports, and patterns of growth – and suggested how their interrelated paths shape community prospects for economic growth and social health.

Its first finding was that Louisville entered merger from a position of strength, following a decade of growth in population and jobs, with the largest share of the region’s assets in terms of both jobs and people concentrated in Louisville Metro.

It pointed out that almost all of that population growth over the last decade stemmed from an influx of immigrants and new ethnic minorities, and it noted the historic divide between African-American and white communities, which manifests itself in virtually every aspect of community life.

Beyond Merger called upon Louisville Metro to capitalize on the momentum of merger to overcome legacies like those and other obstacles to achieving the community’s vision for its future. It spelled out an ambitious, long-term Competitive City Agenda organized under five key headings:

• Fix the Basics, raising education attainment and achievement levels for all ages.
• Build on Assets, leveraging competitive advantages to strengthen economic vitality and creating a “package of amenities” including a vibrant downtown, recreation opportunities, arts and cultural life.
• Create Quality Neighborhoods, as the fundamental building block of community.
• Invest in Working Families, with the goal of raising all families above the poverty line.
• Balance Metropolitan Growth to ensure that the region maintains its distinctive quality of life.

The first two years of Louisville Metro have been dominated by the hard work of building a new government, laying the groundwork for ”getting it right” by creating a top-notch local government.

As the timeline below illustrates, the impact of long-term trends determines the future, but sustaining change that spans years will require unwavering focus and commitment.

Now is the time to recommit to the higher aspirations that galvanized the community at Louisville Metro’s birth – to put the big picture of its strengths and weaknesses back into focus and stake out indicators of progress for the long haul. The Competitive City Report is intended for that purpose.