The following is a press release:
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WASHINGTON, DC – The American Planning Association (APA) today announced the country’s 10 Great Neighborhoods, 10 Great Streets, and 10 Great Public Spaces for 2010 through the organization’s national program, Great Places in America.
Launched in 2007, Great Places in America celebrates places of exemplary character, quality, and planning. Places are selected annually and represent the gold standard in terms of having a true sense of place, noteworthy social, cultural or historical character, community involvement, resilience, and a vision for the future. To date, 110 places have been designated in 47 states and the District of Columbia.
“This year’s designations represent American communities of all sizes, from New York City, Boston and San Francisco to Wallace, Idaho, Red Lodge, Montana, and Middleburg, Virginia,” said APA Chief Executive Officer W. Paul Farmer, FAICP. “Places of distinction and unique character are found not only in big cities or selected states, but everywhere. We hope these examples inspire other communities to envision, plan and realize their own great places of lasting value.”
“These American Planning Association Great Places demonstrate the benefits of good planning and plan implementation, often over generations,” Farmer said, adding “Great Places show what helps make communities attractive and able to offer residents better choices for where and how they work and live.”
APA Great Places are enjoyable, safe and desirable — places that attract users every day. America’s truly great streets, neighborhoods and public spaces are defined by many characteristics, including architectural features, accessibility, functionality, and community involvement. The 2010 designees are not ranked, but are listed here alphabetically by state. Additional details about each designee are available at www.planning.org/greatplaces.
2010 Great Neighborhoods
Lower Downtown, Denver, CO; Riverside Avondale, Jacksonville, FL;
Frank Lloyd Wright Historic District, Village of Oak Park, IL;
John S. Park Neighborhood, Las Vegas, NV; The Paseo, Oklahoma City, OK;
Historic Ninth Street Hill Neighborhood, Lafayette, IN;
Back Bay, Boston, MA; Downtown Frederick, Frederick MD;
Hyde Park, Cincinnati, OH; The Cathedral Historic District, Sioux Falls, SD
2010 Great Streets
Spring Street, Eureka Springs, AR; 5th Avenue, San Diego, CA;
Bank Street, Wallace, ID; Massachusetts Street, Lawrence, KS;
Wydown Boulevard, Clayton, MO; Broadway Avenue, Red Lodge, MT;
Washington Street, Hoboken, NJ; Middle Street, New Bern, NC;
Liberty Street, Franklin, PA; Washington Street, Middleburg, VA
2010 Great Public Spaces
Charles W. Ireland Sculpture Garden, Birmingham, AL;
Ferry Building, San Francisco, CA; Plaza Real, Boca Raton, FL;
Fountain Square, Bowling Green, KY; The Emerald Necklace, Boston, MA;
Campus Martius Park, Detroit, MI; Bryant Park, New York City, NY;
Rittenhouse Square, Philadelphia, PA; Main Plaza, San Antonio, TX;
Percival Landing Boardwalk and Park, Olympia, WA
Great Places in America is just one of the ways APA recognizes and celebrates National Community Planning Month each October. The special month is designed to recognize and celebrate the many residents, leaders, officials, and professionals who contribute to making great communities. For more about National Community Planning Month, visit www.planning.org/ncpm.
The American Planning Association is an independent, not-for-profit educational organization that provides leadership in the development of vital communities. APA and its professional institute, the American Institute of Certified Planners, are dedicated to advancing the art, science and profession of good planning — physical, economic and social — so as to create communities that offer better choices for where and how people work and live. Members of APA help create communities of lasting value and encourage civic leaders, business interests and citizens to play a meaningful role in creating communities that enrich people’s lives. APA has offices in Washington, D.C., and Chicago, Ill. For more information, visit www.planning.org.
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The following is a press release. Â Mr. Hillhouse & his wife are moving to downtown St. Louis.
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The East-West Gateway Council of Governments Board of Directors Wednesday approved the hiring of Ed Hillhouse as the metropolitan planning organization’s new executive director, effective Nov. 1. Hillhouse currently is chairman of the board for East-West Gateway and the presiding commissioner for Franklin County, Mo.
Hillhouse was elected as a county commissioner of Franklin County in 2002 and has served as the county’s presiding commissioner since that election. During that time he also has served on the board at East-West Gateway. He has a doctorate degree in education from St. Louis University and served as superintendent of schools for the Meramec Valley School District in Pacific from 1988 to 2002.
East-West Gateway is the St. Louis area’s federally designated metropolitan planning organization responsible for approving federal funding for major local transportation projects. East- West Gateway’s 24-person board, which includes the top elected officials of the region’s seven counties and the mayor of the city of St. Louis, meets monthly to consider issues of regional significance.
Hillhouse sees regional collaboration among local governments as one of his highest priorities, both to better coordinate services and to share resources so that financially constrained municipalities and counties can better serve their citizens. He also sees an increased role for East- West Gateway in bolstering the region’s economy, particularly at a time when the world is becoming increasingly urban and metropolitan areas are the focus for global competition.
“Economic development is critical to the region and East-West Gateway will play its part, both in analyzing the region’s fiscal condition and helping coordinate efforts to create jobs and pursue a sustainable regional economy,” Hillhouse said. “When East-West Gateway was formed, its main purpose was to address surface transportation needs, but we also have grown to address other regional problems in a cooperative way, such as homeland security and disaster preparedness.” For the last eight years Hillhouse has been the presiding commissioner of Franklin County, which at 922 square miles is Missouri’s 4th largest county and with a population of 101,263 according to the latest U.S. Census Bureau estimates, is the state’s 10th most populous county. The county seat is Union and its largest municipality is Washington. The county’s population increased 8 percent from 2000 to 2009, making it one of the state’s fastest growing counties.
That experience governing a county that has rural, suburban and urban aspects will benefit Hillhouse, according to the vice-chairman of the East-West Gateway Board of Directors, Mark Kern, the Belleville-based chairman of the St. Clair County Board.
“At a time when regional perspective is needed more than ever, Ed Hillhouse has shown by his eight years on the East-West Gateway board that he has a clear grasp of both the need for that effort and the challenge of pursuing it,” Kern said. “Ed’s experience governing a fast-growing county gives him a background in economic development and government collaboration that should serve him well as East-West Gateway leads the metropolitan area in maintaining the St. Louis region’s growth and stability.”
Hillhouse is married to Shirley Hillhouse, a fourth-grade teacher at Labadie Elementary School in the Washington School District. In 2009, she was named the Gilder Lehrman American History Teacher of the year for Missouri. The Hillhouses have two sons, Heath, a graduate student at Missouri State University in Springfield; and Hart, a teacher in Pacific.
Hillhouse is a member of the advisory board of the Regional Chamber and Growth Association and the Mid-East Area Agency on Aging Board. He replaces Les Sterman as East-West Gateway’s executive director. Sterman was executive director for 26 years, leaving the post in June 2009. Since Sterman’s departure, Maggie Hales has served as the interim executive director. On Nov. 1, Hales will return to her prior position as deputy executive director.
The following is a press release from this afternoon:
Sept. 21, 2010
MVVA Team Moves Forward in City+Arch+River 2015 Competition
“Strong Team and Solid Methodology” Pushes Team Led by Michael Van Valkenburgh into 90-day Program Analysis and Design Development Effort
ST. LOUIS–(BUSINESS WIRE)– Landscape architect Michael Van Valkenburgh and a multidisciplinary team introduced as experts in “urban renewal, preservation, commemoration, social connections and ecological restoration” have been picked for the planning phase of The City+The Arch+The River 2015 International Design Competition.
Leaders of the team will be introduced, along with details on the next stages of the process, at 10:00 a.m., Friday, Sept. 24, 2010, at the Old Courthouse in downtown St. Louis.
The jury chose the MVVA Team over four others competing to enliven the area around the Gateway Arch and connect it to downtown St. Louis, the Mississippi River and the Illinois bank. Based in New York, MVVA’s portfolio includes the redesign of Pennsylvania Avenue at the White House, the design of Brooklyn Bridge Park and many other prominent projects. (Please see the MVVA Team profile at end of this document for information on expertise and accomplishments of its members.)
In its final report, the competition jury called the MVVA Team “a strong team with solid methodology.” As a team, “they convey intelligence and provide clear technical support for their design proposals,” the jury report states.
“MVVA is an outstanding team that presented a winning combination of the ambitious and the manageable,” said Tom Bradley, Superintendent of the Jefferson National Expansion Memorial. “They showed great reverence for the beauty and significance of the existing site, while suggesting improvements and attractions in line with our competition goals. We’re excited to start planning.”
Over a 90-day period, the team will work in partnership with the sponsors, the City of St. Louis, the National Park Service and others to further define program requirements; begin developing a design that takes into account the feasibility and practicality of proposed solutions; create a construction budget and fundraising plan; and define the delivery expectations from now until 2015.
“Between now and January, we will be challenging the MVVA Team to rise to the challenge to do what’s best for the city, for the region and for this national park,” said St. Louis Mayor Francis Slay. “The Arch is a national treasure, but it is intensely personal to people in and around St Louis. We will be working with Michael and his team, with continued input from the community and the experts, on creating the best solutions for the Arch grounds and the neighboring area.”
“There is huge potential for the Illinois riverbank area and collaboration on both sides of the river,” said Dr. Vaughn Vandegrift, Chancellor of Southern Illinois University at Edwardsville, who serves with Bradley, Mayor Slay and others on the competitions governing group. “Our discussions regarding Illinois intensified and evolved even after the competition was launched. There are opportunities for the Illinois riverbank area now that didn’t exist when we gave instructions to the teams. We will work closely with the MVVA Team to evaluate what they have proposed and expand from there.”
Strong support for project implementation was shared last month in a letter to competition organizers from the bi-partisan Missouri and Illinois congressional delegations and during a visit by the U.S. Secretary of the Interior, Ken Salazar, who oversees the National Park Service and pledged to get the project done.
“This is another critical step in a continuum that began with the review of the park’s general management plan and continued on to the call for a competition, the skillful execution of the competition itself, today’s announcement of a winning design team, the establishment of an implementation team and a concept from which we can build,” said Bradley. “We are looking to this effort as a model for both public-private collaboration and improved connections between cities and our urban national parks.”
The MVVA Team’s design concept narrative describes their vision for the redesigned park as a “centerpiece of civic culture, an engine of regional economic growth, a showcase for sustainable ecological restoration and a celebration of the national significance of this historic place.”
The sponsoring group, the MVVA Team and others will host intensive reviews and workshops this fall to analyze the design concept and conduct a more detailed design exploration. At a minimum, the study will focus on the review of the technical advisory group, the impact on related downtown park properties and the Illinois side of the river, traffic and transportation and federal compliance issues.
The sponsors also will study issues relating to cost and construction, traffic, financial resources and federal compliance.
A monthly web-based progress report will update the public throughout the implementation period.
The eight-member jury counted among its members a Pulitzer Prize-winning architecture critic, a professor in the humanities, a former deputy director of the National Park Service, a real estate economist, a museum curator and renowned architects and landscape architects.
The jury shared its report and team rankings with the competition sponsor and managers after a series of presentations and tours of the community, competition site and exhibit of design concepts led by the sponsors and culminating in public presentations by the teams late last month.
The project will be constructed by Oct. 28, 2015, the 50th anniversary of the completion of the Arch.
About the Competition
The goal of The City+The Arch+The River 2015 international design competition is to create an iconic setting for the international icon, the Gateway Arch, honoring its immediate surroundings and weaving connections and transitions from the city and the Arch grounds to the Mississippi River, including the east bank in Illinois.
The competition, launched Dec. 8, 2009, has had three stages. Portfolio submissions in Stage I included a description of the lead designer, a statement of design intent and philosophy of the lead designer, a profile of the design team and examples of their work. From the original 49 submissions, in February 2010, the jury picked nine to enter Stage II.
Stage II involved the formation of the complete teams capable of executing the project, submission of required qualifications and a jury interview. This phase culminated in early April 2010, when the teams met with the jury and the field was narrowed to five teams.
On April 28, 2010, at the beginning of Stage III, the finalist teams presented their design philosophies and examples of past work at a public “Meet the Design Teams” event in downtown St. Louis, hosted by sportscaster Joe Buck. This event was followed by a three month design concept competition to explore the finalists’ design approach and test their working methodology.
The design concepts went on display on Aug. 17, 2010, at the Arch and in an exhibit traveling throughout the bi-state region. Visitors were able to voice opinions about the design concepts in the first week of the exhibit. A synopsis of the more than 600 comments received was shared with the jury. The finalist teams presented their design concepts to the jury in public session on Aug. 26, 2010.
The final project design, budget and implementation plan will be presented in January 2011. The project will be constructed by Oct. 28, 2015.
The new design is called for in the National Park Service’s General Management Plan for the Jefferson National Expansion Memorial, which was developed with extensive public input over an 18-month period and approved Nov. 23, 2009.
The competition is sponsored by the CityArchRiver 2015 Foundation, which includes National Park Superintendent Tom Bradley, St. Louis Mayor Francis G. Slay, community leaders from Missouri and Illinois, academics, architects and national park advocates.
Financial contributions to the CityArchRiver 2015 Foundation are being handled by the Greater St. Louis Community Foundation, a public charity with more than $140 million in charitable assets and representing more than 350 individual funds.
Donors to the competition include: Emerson, Gateway Center of Metropolitan St. Louis (Malcolm W. Martin Memorial Park), Peter Fischer, Emily Rauh Pulitzer, Civic Progress, Wachovia Wells Fargo Foundation, Danforth Foundation, John F. McDonnell, Bryan Cave LLP, Greater St. Louis Community Foundation, National Park Foundation, Monsanto, Alison and John Ferring, Bank of America, David C. Farrell and others who choose to remain anonymous. The traveling exhibit was sponsored by Civic Progress member companies.
Competition information at www.cityarchrivercompetition.org.
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The MVVA Team
LANDSCAPE URBANISM
Since 1982, Michael Van Valkenburgh Associates has completed over 350 landscape architecture and urban planning projects. MVVA has emerged as a leader in sustainable landscape design, with a particular interest in urban ecology, stormwater management, materials salvage, and soil remediation. Over the last decade, MVVA has designed several highly acclaimed, infrastructurally complex waterfront landscapes, including Brooklyn Bridge Park and Hudson River Park in New York, Allegheny Riverfront Park in Pittsburgh, and the Lower Don Lands in Toronto. In addition, MVVA has successfully rehabilitated many historic landscapes, including the Harvard University campus, Pennsylvania Avenue at the White House, and Dan Kiley’s Miller Garden in Columbus, Indiana. MVVA is one of the most consistently lauded firms in practice today; in addition to its many project awards-which include two 2010 Designing the Parks awards from the National Park Service-Michael Van Valkenburgh has been regularly commended for his contributions to the field. He won the Cooper-Hewitt Design Museum’s 2003 National Design Award for Environmental Design, and this year he became only the second landscape architect to be awarded the American Academy of Arts and Letters’ Arnold W. Brunner Memorial Prize in Architecture-Dan Kiley is the other.
URBAN DESIGN, DEVELOPMENT, AND PROGRAMMING
Ken Greenberg is a leading expert on the life and design of the post-industrial North American city. His work includes the Lower Don Lands in Toronto, the Anacostia Waterfront in Washington, D.C., the Rose Kennedy Greenway in Boston, and master plans for Philadelphia and Detroit; he was given the 2010 Thomas Jefferson Award for Public Architecture. Ed Uhlir masterminded the design and programming of Chicago’s Millennium Park, which has attracted $2.6 billion in tourism and has had a $1.4 billion impact on nearby property values. John Alschuler of HR&A Advisors has pioneered innovative phasing and financing schemes for large-scale urban projects including the High Line and Brooklyn Bridge Park in New York. Cooper, Robertson & Partners has designed programming for world-class institutions including the Metropolitan Museum of Art, the Museum of Modern Art, and the Whitney Museum.
ARCHITECTURE
James Carpenter Design Associates has integrated art and architecture, with a particular focus on light and glass, in projects including 7 World Trade Center in New York and the Lens Ceiling in Phoenix, Arizona; James Carpenter was a 2004 MacArthur “genius” fellow. Steven Holl is one of the United States’ most eminent living architects; his record of built work includes the award-winning addition to the Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art in Kansas City, which consists of five “lenses” seamlessly integrated into a Dan Kiley landscape. Structural engineer Guy Nordenson has collaborated with Steven Holl and MVVA for many years, and has worked with Renzo Piano, Pei Cobb Freed, and many other leading architects.
ECOLOGICAL, HYDROLOGICAL, AND CIVIL ENGINEERING
Arup is a leading international engineering firm with a broad range of specialties; their work includes Hudson River Park and the East River Waterfront in New York, as well as the Sydney Opera House and work for the 2008 Beijing Olympics. Hydrological science and engineering firm LimnoTech has expertise in surface water modeling, contaminant analysis, wastewater and stormwater collection systems, and riverine and wetland hydrodynamics. Applied Ecological Services is a broad-based ecological consulting firm consisting of a multidisciplinary team of botanists, biologists, and ecosystem restoration specialists; its work includes environmental permitting efforts, natural resources inventories, and prairie and wetland restoration projects. ABNA Engineering provides local civil engineering support.
ART, LANDSCAPE HISTORY, AND PUBLIC OUTREACH
Throughout her career, Ann Hamilton has integrated multi-sensory public art installations into existing and newly built architecture and landscape projects; she was a 1993 MacArthur “genius” fellow. Elizabeth K. Meyer is a professor at the University of Virginia and one of the foremost American landscape theorists. In addition to her influential work on Dan Kiley, she has written about the complexities inherent in building new landscapes on industrial sites, and has argued for incorporating aesthetic concerns into the sustainability agenda. Award-winning design firm Project Projects specializes not only in identity and graphic design, but also wayfinding and public outreach efforts. They are supported locally by Vector Communications.
The following is a press release:
Mayor Francis G. Slay, the Partnership for Downtown St. Louis, the Downtown CID and Loftworks today announced that the funding is finalized to create the region’s first public commuter bike center.
The public Downtown Bike Center will offer cyclists a place to secure their bike, store their bike gear, and shower before coming to work. The City anticipates these services will be available late this Fall for a monthly fee.
The public Downtown Bike Center will use 1300 square feet of the ground floor of the 1011 Locust Street building, which is owned by Loftworks. The building that will house the bike station is right downtown – located on the northwest corner of Locust and Tenth Streets – and is within two blocks of a Metrolink station. The building has been restored using Historic Tax Credits, and is on track to obtain LEED Gold certification from the US Green Building Council.
The City of St. Louis applied for a Federal Energy Efficiency and Conservation Block Grant from the Department of Energy to specifically fund this project. These funds were designated for energy-saving projects, and had to be approved by the Department of Energy. From the grant the City received, $181,600 will cover the costs to buy the lockers, interior bike racks, and fund the operational costs of the Downtown Bike Center’s first two years. The Downtown Community Improvement District and other partners will provide additional funding.
“We are building a City that provides an attractive way of life. After World War II, the car was a symbol of freedom. For some people today, it is just the opposite,†said Mayor Slay. “We look forward to working with the Downtown St. Louis CID and Loftworks to ensure the long-term success of this public bike center and the City’s cycling initiative.â€
“This project will help cement Downtown as a walkable, livable neighborhood where you can rely on alternatives to the car,†said Maggie Campbell, Partnership President and CEO. “We are thrilled to be working with the community to realize this sustainable investment.â€
“Since vehicle emissions contribute about a third of the Greenhouse Gasses into the environment, we wanted to use these ARRA Stimulus funds to promote an alternative mode of transportation,†said Catherine Werner, the City’s Sustainability Director. “By enabling St. Louis commuters to choose cycling as an affordable and attractive option, the City is demonstrating its commitment to being a healthy and sustainable community.â€pre
The following is a press release:
HUD OFFERS $110 MILLION IN GRANTS TO CLEAN UP LEAD HAZARDS
Funding to protect children from lead poisoning
WASHINGTON – The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development today announced that it is making approximately $110 million in grants available to help eliminate dangerous lead-based paint from lower income homes and to protect young children from lead poisoning. The grants to States and local governments are being offered through HUD’s Lead-Based Paint Hazard Control and Lead Hazard Reduction Demonstration Programs.
“These grants are critical for States, counties and cities who are on the front lines of protecting our children from dangerous lead hazards,” said Jon Gant, Director of the Office of Healthy Homes and Lead Hazard Control. “While we have made remarkable progress toward eliminating lead poisoning in children nationwide, now is the time to focus on reaching the finish line. We look forward to communities applying for these grants so that they can help make older housing safer and healthier for children.”
HUD is providing an opportunity for applicants through its Lead-Based Paint Hazard Control Grant Program. Prospective grantees will be able to apply for supplementary funding to promote and develop a local Healthy Housing initiative, building on their lead hazard control program, to address multiple housing-related health hazards in accordance with best practices HUD has identified. In addition, the Department will announce the availability of funds for four Healthy Homes and lead grant programs in the near future.
HUD requires prospective grantees to submit their applications electronically via www.grants.gov. Any changes to HUD-published funding notices will be made available to the public through a Federal Register publication and published on this government-wide portal. Applicants are urged to sign up for Grants.gov’s notification service to receive periodic updates or changes to this grant offering.
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The following is a press release:
Brian Owens Closes O’Fallon Park Summer Jazz Concert Series
R&B singer, Brian Owens, performs at 6:00PM in the last concert of this summer’s concert series in O’Fallon Park
(ST. LOUIS) – Tonight R&B singer, Brian Owens, will close out this summer’s O’Fallon Park Jazz Concert Series with a performance at 6:00PM. Brian Owens is rapidly earning a reputation as one of the most promising young R&B and soul singers on today’s music scene. At the age of 29, Owens has already shared the stage with many notable performers such as jazz legend Ramsey Lewis, smooth jazz artists Boney James and Spyro Gyra. Brian has made television appearances on ABC’s “Good Morning America†and BET’s “Jazz Discovery†program. He describes his musical style as a blend of Bill Withers, Sam Cooke, Donny Hathaway, with a bit of Al Green and Marvin Gaye just for fun.
Produced by the Sheldon Concert Hall in partnership with 21st Ward Alderman Antonio French, this is the 2nd year for the jazz series in O’Fallon Park. The series offers residents a unique opportunity to enjoy one of the city’s largest and most beautiful parks. Concertgoers have the opportunity to hear some of the region’s most talented jazz musicians this summer, while enjoying refreshments from the park’s new Boathouse café, which was opened specifically for the event.
In addition to the concert series, many new renovations are taking place in O’Fallon Park this summer, including five new basketball courts and a one-mile fitness trail. This summer also marked the long-awaited groundbreaking for the new O’Fallon Park Recreation Center coming in December 2011.
“There are a lot of exciting changes coming to O’Fallon Park,†says Alderman French. “These renovations are part of a larger effort to reclaim this historic park as a safe and beautiful space for families in our community.â€
Tonight is the last concert in what has been an 8-week summer Jazz Concert Series. Tonight’s concert will begin at 6:00PM and is free and open to the public. Concessions will be available at the O’Fallon Park Boathouse and attendees are encouraged to bring a picnic blanket or lawn chair.
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I receive many press releases each day. I will now start posting some of these as received, in addition to my regular daily posts.
– Steve Patterson
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14th Street Bridge Closed for Repairs Starting Monday, August 30
Repairs part of On-System Bridge Preventative Maintenance Program
14th Street Bridge over Mill Creek (between Papin and Spruce) will be closed for repairs on Monday August 30, 2010. It will be closed for approximately 30 days. The closure is part of a larger maintenance program that will be performed on several bridges from April until November.
Concrete Strategies, LLC, the contractor for the project, will be repairing columns underneath the bridge, the expansion joints at the ends of the bridge, prepping and painting beam ends and applying corrosion protection. It is the work underneath the bridge that requires the closure. Even though workers may not be visible to motorists, there will be work going on.
The signed detour route will be on Chouteau Avenue to 18th Street to Clark Street, and vice-versa. The Gateway Multimodal Facility serving Amtrak and Greyhound will still be accessible from 18th & Clark, and signs are posted there. The eastbound off-ramp from I-64 (US 40) will generally remain open. However, it will only be possible to turn left while the bridge is closed. Note that one full ramp closure will be required to repair the expansion joint at the north end of the bridge. Informational signs will be posted.
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The annual estimates, released this year, reported the city had lost population at a faster rate than any other city its size. The figures riled City Hall and, at the time, were declared “bogus and unreliable” by the mayor.Â
City officials challenged the numbers, questioning the method used to calculate the 2003 estimate because it failed to include residential building permits that almost all other cities were allowed to use.Â
Without being an expert demographer it was clear to me (and most people I know) that in the last few years we’ve seen an increase in young professionals as well as many thirty somethings staying put rather than flee to the ‘burbs once their kid(s) were school age. So what were the numbers? Back to the P-D article:
According to earlier census estimates, the rate of decline in St. Louis topped a list of 245 other cities with 100,000 people or more. Although other cities lost more people, those losses were proportionately smaller than the 4.3 percent estimated decrease in St. Louis.Â
As of July 1 last year, the census calculated the city lost 15,966 residents since the national head count in 2000, which found 348,189 people living within city limits.Â
But, according to the adjusted census estimate, St. Louis had 348,039, a net loss of 150.Â
This is really good news. Perception is very important. Reversing 50 years of belief the future was on the edges of the region in cul-de-sac streets, strip malls, industrial parks is difficult. People, by nature, want to be part of the leading group – on the bandwagon. After WWII the trend was to the ‘burbs and folks fled in drove – partially fueled by racial bigotry. Well folks, the trend is to return to close-knit (and hence walkable) urban environments that have served humans for centuries. This auto dominated suburban experiment is yesterday’s news.
The question now is how can the Slay administration capitalize on this news and keep up the momentum? For starters, put a moratorium on razing historic buildings downtown for fucking parking garages. Are you listening Francis????? You see, the first thing we as St. Louis residents have to do is get City Hall (Mayor, Aldermen, etc….) to change their perceptions of the city and what works. Frankly, I don’t think they get it.
It has been the work of loft developers and small local business owners that have brought about the rejuvenation of downtown we are seeing. Massive public funded projects such as stadium building or corporate handouts to firms such as Bryan Cave are not the solution to get people in the city. Those are designed to get re-elected.
For a lesson in what to do we need to look no further than the 1999 classic movie Dogma:
Cardinal Glick (George Carlin):Â Fill them pews, people, that’s the key. Grab the little ones as well. Hook ‘em while they’re young.Â
Rufus (Chris Rock):Â Kind of like the tobacco industry?Â
Cardinal Glick:Â Christ, if only we had their numbers.Â
Everything the City does should be focused on filling the pews – the buildings and vacant lots all over the city. This is business 101. You find out where a gap exists in the market and what your potential customers want and you fill that need. Stadiums or a new Bryan Cave office building are, without a doubt, not the right way to go. So what is the right way?
The trick is understanding your ‘customer’ and what they are seeking. You see, our customer is the recent college grad or young professional. Our competition, despite what some may think, is not Chesterfield or St. Peters (hinterland suburbs for those out of town). No, our competition is Chicago, Austin, Seattle, San Francisco, Portland, etc… These cities and others are offering the “Creative Class” an exciting life. Gone are the days of people going to employers and working there until retirement. The Creative Class is attracted to diverse urban life and employers are attracted to the labor pool of the Creative Class.
From Richard Florida’s groundbreaking book, “The Rise of the Creative Class: and how it’s transforming work, leisure, community and everyday life:”
If you are a scientist or engineer, an architect or designer, a writer, artist or musician, or if you use your creativity as a key factor in your work in business, education, health care, law or some other profession, you are a member [of a new social class]. With 38 million members, more than 30 percent of the nation’s workforce, the Creative Class has shaped and will continue to shape deep and profound shifts in the ways we work, in our values and desires, and in the very fabric of our everyday lives.
Much of Florida’s book is on documenting and defining the Creative Class. He goes into great detail about the types of environments the Creative Class seek and conversely what they avoid. The lessons here go way beyond saying “we need more high-tech jobs in our city.” But, in catering to the Creative Class other members of society cannot be ignored. Florida concludes the preface with:
To build true social cohesion, the members of the Creative Class will need to offer those in other classes a tangible vision of ways to improve their own lives, either by becoming part of the Creative Economy or, at the very least, by reaping some of its rewards. If the Creative Class does not commit itself to this effort, the growing social and economic divides in our society will only worsen, and I fear that we will find ourselves living perpetually uneasy lives at the top of an unhappy heap.
Be sure to check out Richard Florida’s Creative Class website.
OK, I’ve gone on ranting long enough for this entry. Let’s summarize shall we?
• St. Louis City population is leveling off or increasing!
• Suburbia is so 20th century.
• Vibrant city life, not gigantic building projects, are the key to attracting the Creative Class.
• Inclusion of all social classes is key to reversing social & economic divides.
Note to developers & everyone at City Hall: Please print out the above bullet points and repeat daily. If you are working on a project that does not jive with the above then you need to stop and figure out why it doesn’t.
Questions? Comments? Disagree? Send me an email - I love feedback.
Steve