Third Anniversary of UrbanReviewSTL.com

Today is the 3rd anniversary of this site. Started on Halloween 2004, it has turned out to be scary for our so-called leaders that cling to our 60-year old zoning code so they get a chance to play auto-centric developer.

When I started I had no plan for where this would go. The beginning was actually due to a tragic event. My father, at then age 75, had a major heart attack on October 1st of 2004. He had blacked out while driving due to the heart attack, two off-duty paramedics saw him drive over a curb and come to a rest — they gave him CPR until an ambulance arrived. Initially he was not expected to survive. I got the call from my brother late on a Friday evening — I was downtown for the gallery tour. Very early the next morning I was driving back to Oklahoma with my black suit — just in case. It is a long drive to Oklahoma City but as you can imagine it was very long that day. My dad is a tough man and he pulled through after several weeks in the hospital. That entire month I was, to put it mildly, a complete basket case.

So it was on that Sunday, Halloween 2004, that I decided to begin writing as a means of gaining some clarity in my life. Rather than write about my personal life, I chose to express my frustration about the urban environment in the St. Louis region. My first post that night was on the Kirkwood Plaza Station project on the old site of the Kirkwood Target.

So much has changed since that first day three years ago. My father is doing well but my mother passed away in June 2006 (see post). A few months after starting the blog I ran for public office, losing two months later (see post). In these three years I’ve done over 1,300 posts and you’ve responded with well over 11,000 comments. I’ve received some good press along the way as well as my share of detractors (Ald Florida called me a “zealot” in St. Louis magazine). At one time I was rather anonymous — able to attend public meetings and be noticed only because of my size, shaved head and tattoos (those things don’t really “blend” in most places). Today, however, seldom is there a meeting where I’m not known.

Being recognized certainly has some benefits but it also has drawbacks, it was certainly never a goal. In fact, I had no goal other than to share my thoughts. Since then I’ve certainly struck a nerve with many equally frustrated by St. Louis’ political structure and auto-centric development patterns. Others are frustrated with all the talk and want to see more action. Many want me to host meetings and gather the troops troupes to fight various battles. First, however, I need to finish my masters in Urban Planning and Real Estate Development at St. Louis University.

This is not to say that I’m closed to the idea of starting something new.

At this point I do have some very tangible goals, my wish list if you will (in no particular order and by no means complete):

• See the complete replacement of our old zoning codes in the city, to be replaced by form-based codes which reflect the community’s vision for neighborhoods and commercial districts. This is a compliment to the city’s 2005 Strategic Land Use Plan that is basically useless without new zoning. Similarly, I’d like to see form-based codes throughout the region with urban nodes where logical (around major transportation hubs, for example).
• See the establishment of a permanent program to establish bike parking along commercial streets. In parking lots for retail properties I’d like to see a bike/scooter/motorcycle parking requirement.
• Break through the leadership vacuum in the city and region, get progressive urbanists into decision making roles.
• See a charter change to eliminate partisan elections within the City of St. Louis. Term limits of 2-3 terms might be a part of this as well.
• See the population of the City of St. Louis reach 500,000 people — an increase of nearly 45% above today’s figure.
• See the return of a frequent localized transit system serving the city and inner-ring suburbs. This would most resemble a return to numerous streetcar lines designed for local users — not a system designed to get the suburbanite to downtown as fast as possible. This would system would include a variety of systems, including bus and light rail.
• See the urbanization of sites such as Loughborough Commons, Gravois Plaza and so many others that are currently acres of asphalt.
• And so much more. Suggestions?

The how and when of the above and others isn’t exactly clear. While I am working on being somewhat more patient I don’t want to become too patient so that I’m willing to wait 20-30 years for these things. Unfortunately I think it may take something drastic to bring about the level of change I think we need. It may well take the fallout from peak oil and global warming to wake up the populous to the need to change our ways. When gas is $6/gallon and coastal cities are wiped out from rising ocean levels then we’ll then see a call for better transit and more pedestrian friendly retail. Hopefully we will not be too far behind the curve.

I had hoped to plan a big splash party for this 3rd anniversary of the blog but I’m really not a flashy party type of person. Besides, those always seem to call for valet parking! So how am I celebrating this milestone moment? Well, I’m on a plane this morning to Miami. I’m also not a beach person but that is where the annual Rail~Volution conference is being held and this year I am a panelist. I think being in Miami Beach on Halloween, staying in a nice hotel along the beach and checking out a new city is celebration enough. I will be blogging from Miami, including some posts from the panel on Thursday afternoon. Sadly the forecast calls for scattered showers all weekend.

Upon my return next week I will be preparing for a panel at the Missouri state American Planning Association conference. That same week I will also be moving into my new place. Yes, I am staying within the city but moving out of Dutchtown and the 25th ward. Where? I will give you a hint — I’ll let you know who the alderwoman is as part of my post next week with all the details — that narrows it down to 10 possible wards. A new location in the city will certainly give me a different perspective as well as new material to write about. I’m sure I can find plenty to write about for at least another three years.

Thanks to all of you for helping make UrbanReviewSTL.com part of the dialog about the future of our city and region!