SPECIAL EP 001 // Know The City

Season 1 of DesignedBy: may be done, but the work sure aint!

Recently, a report was released by a panel of international real estate, placemaking, and urban planning experts that recommends how St. Louis can improve the heart of our downtown district. Here are 10 general takeaways that this report emphasizes:

• Transformation into a Central Social District: Downtown St. Louis should pivot from a central business district to a central social district focused on culture, creativity, and community engagement
• Economic and Cultural Resilience: Emphasize the creation of a diverse, mixed-use district to enhance economic resilience and attract both residents and visitors
• Real Estate Strategy: Acquire key properties around the Gateway Mall to control and activate spaces, encouraging cultural and economic activity
• Equitable Development: Focus on inclusive economic development by involving BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, and People of Color) communities in ownership and decision-making processes to create long-term community wealth
• Public and Private Collaboration: Establish partnerships with various stakeholders, including public entities and private developers, to support the district’s transformation and ensure sustained investment and programming.
• Activation and Programming: Implement a consistent schedule of events and activations to keep the area vibrant and engaging throughout the year
• Placemaking and Placekeeping: Utilize placemaking strategies to create spaces that are inviting, safe, and culturally rich, ensuring they reflect the community's history and diversity
• Community Involvement: Engage local artists, entrepreneurs, and residents in the planning and activation processes to ensure the district meets the needs and desires of the community
• Enhanced Public Spaces: Improve the streetscape and pedestrian experience to make downtown more walkable and bike-friendly, enhancing connectivity and accessibility
• Long-term Vision and Planning: Adopt a phased approach to development, starting with temporary activations that can evolve into permanent fixtures, creating a sustainable and dynamic urban environment

Any of this sound familiar :) ? Since it's easy to rely on reports without action, we put this to the test -- we dove into a workshop, created by one of our co-hosts and supported by the other,  in which we examine how to use the takeaways from this report to galvanize our community to start doing some really cool stuff in, with, and for the city of St. Louis.

THIS episode is part 1 :)

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