Fischer touched on a number of topics including:

• Jobs in west Louisville: “Walmart is dead (but) I think something better there is going to happen anyway” at 18th and Broadway.
• Population growth: “We need more steady growth … we could fit 200,000 more people in the old city because we’ve got land and 6,000 vacant houses.”
• Density: Most of the people developing downtown aren’t from Louisville. Our local developers prefer to build on green space outside the urban core, but “I think they’re missing out on a real opportunity if downtown continues to develop as it is.”
• Affordable housing: “Hot cities are big on affordable housing…great cities are integrated.”
• Immigration: “We want our foreign born population to be around 15 percent by 2025. It’s 8 or 9 percent right now.”
• Light rail: “The numbers just don’t work” and it is not a priority, especially with the federal government requiring matching funds from local governments before investing in large transportation projects.

Several students had questions for the mayor, asking about health and economic help for west Louisville, policing and whether the mayor had any ideas for research projects for students studying urban planning. The mayor tasked one of his aides, UofL graduate Tommy Clark, with getting a list for the students.

The Bhutan-born Shinchoury was one of 29 people who became U.S. citizens during a Nov. 18 naturalization ceremony in the Brandeis School of Law’s Allen Courtroom.

Law School Dean Susan Duncan said the school was thrilled to host the event and witness the conclusion of an important legal and personal journey for a group of people who chose to become American citizens

U.S. District Judge David Hale, Western District of Kentucky, presided at the ceremony and speakers included UofL’s vice provost for diversity and international affairs, Mordean Taylor-Archer, and law Professor Lars Smith, who is also an associate dean for academic affairs.

Smith shared memories from his own family’s journey to citizenship. Smith and his mother were born in Denmark and he said one of his mother’s greatest treasures was her green card.

“She saw America as a shining beacon of hope,” he said.

“Louisville has become a richer and more vibrant place now that you have joined us as citizens,” he told the newly-inducted Americans.

The poignant ceremony was a chance for the law school’s recently established to see the immigration-to-citizenship process in action. The fellows are addressing the needs of immigrant/refugee populations as their initial focus.

Shinchoury called the naturalization ceremony “amazing and kind of emotional.”

“It makes me feel cared for and loved and accepted,” she said.

. Watch parts of the ceremony in the video below: