SUBSTANTIAL designs and plans inst. louis
In October of 2010, St. Louis received a 4.7 million dollar grant from the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) to assist with the creation of a sustainable regional plan for the city. In order to devise a plan, the East-West Gateway Council of Governments, the lead agency, requires that each regional principal city must take part in the process. HUD, the Federal Department of transportation (DOT) and the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) work with the different regions to create a sustainable development plan that addresses issues such as transportation, spending on housing and the environment, and the need to create policies and programs in order to insure that towns will be environmentally sustainable. All of the organizations involved will be looking at the quality of life its citizens have while taking into account rising gas prices, bad housing markets, climate change, etc. The city of St. Louis gained funding for these projects in order to make its residents happier to live in the city. After the first year of planning and organizing with organizations and the community, a framework was established. In February of 2012, meetings were held to obtain feedback from the public about ideas and strategies for sustainable development before the regional plan is finalized. In Figure 1 the map shows the vacant lands across the city.
The city of St. Louis adopted its first sustainability plan in January of 2013 after a two year process which includes 29 initiatives to take place over the next five years. On Earth Day 2014, the mayor announced a new initiative to bring together the community and protect urban natural resources. A few of the initiatives will be to lessen greenhouse gas emissions by 25%, 25% reduction in crime, open some 20 new charter schools, and redevelop/cleanup forty vacant lots around the city. The town will reap sustainable social, economic, and environmental benefits that will be funded from resources that already exist in the budget. One project from the plan is called Milkweeds for Monarchs: The St. Louis Butterfly Project which will create over 250 butterfly gardens located throughout cities, neighborhoods, and community spaces. The reasoning behind this project is to allow the community to
|
Sweet Potato Project Source: youtube.com
|
experience butterflies and natural resources while at the same time preserving nature and the environment. Another organization, the, Sweet Potato Project, is working to restore the economy of North St. Louis by getting young people involved in sustainable practices. They are encouraging the production and distribution of locally grown products and offering easier access to fresh food in the hopes that the community will come together to live healthier lives and become more self-sustainable.
|
In attempts to revitalize some 20,000 vacant properties in the city of St. Louis, as seen in figure the Sustainable Land Lab asks the community to compete in competitions in which they come up with innovative ways to revamp abandoned areas of the city. The Sustainable Land Lab is run by a team of individuals from the Washington University in St. Louis and the City of St. Louis. The organization focuses on vacant lands because they are directly linked to negative economic, social, and environmental impacts on surrounding areas such as decreased property values, crime, and safety concerns. One project converted a vacant block on Delmar Boulevard into a patch of 10,000 sunflowers. The community came together to clear debris from the lot and to plant the rows of flowers. The organizers believe that this project will bring
|
environmental and economic benefits that will lead to a revitalization of the area. The redevelopment of this abandoned block is part of the Sustainable Land Lab Project created to revive abandoned land in the city.
Another project from the Sustainable Lab is the Bostro Box which will encourage culinary entrepreneurship and sustainable growth of the food industry. [3] The building is fully constructed off old shipping containers which reduces waste and construction needs. This project has yet to be completed but has been given the funds to do so. The Chess Pocket Park will convert residential lots into a Chess Pocket Park which will include permeant tables, benches, and plants. The Chess Parks will encourage the community to come together and interact in an environmentally sustainable way while at the same time stimulating the minds of younger and older generations. The project went underway in April 2014 and just opened August 21st 2014.
The HUB: Hybrid Urban Bioscapes which uses a nectaring garden which assists already existing productive landscapes. The project uses both hardscapes built with concrete pavers which enables it to be used fro recreational purposes and softscapes with perennial plantings of nectaring plants for butterflies, honeybees, and hummingbirds. The garden will be used for recreational and ecological benefits as well as a teaching lab. The HUB team started planting tress last fall and will be adding more landscaping as time goes on.
As time goes on, the City of St Louis hopes that these projects will help the City thrive economically and socially while at the same time improving the environment and the communities that make the city so unique.
As time goes on, the City of St Louis hopes that these projects will help the City thrive economically and socially while at the same time improving the environment and the communities that make the city so unique.
[2]"Sustainability." The City of St. Louis Missouri. N.p., n.d. Web. 31 Aug. 2014. <https://www.stlouis-mo.gov/sustainability/>
[3]Lippmann, Rachael. "St. Louis Unveils Sustainability Plan." St. Louis Public Radio. N.p., 28 Feb.2013. Web. 21 Aug. 2014. <http://news.stlpublicradio.org/post/st-louis-city-unveils-sustainability-plan>
[4]Vacant Properties. Sustainable Land Lab. N.p., n.d. Web. 31 Aug. 2014. http://landlab.wustl.edu/the-challenge/
[5]Vacant lot after sunflowers were planted. Sustainable Land Lab. N.p., n.d. Web. 31 Aug. 2014. ttp://landlab.wustl.edu/projects/sunflower/>
[6]Gillerman, Margert. "10,000 Sunflowers Brighten Delmar Boulevard and Spur Hope for Revitalization."St. Louis Post Dispatch. N.p., n.d. Web. 21 Aug. 2014. <http://www.stltoday.com/news/local/metro/sunflowers-brighten-delmar-boulevard-and-spur-hope-for-revitalization/article_0d105083-7e66-54ac-b89b- 0862b4643e2f.html>
[7]"The Bistro Box." Sustainable Land Lab. N.p., n.d. Web. 31 Aug. 2014. <http://landlab.wustl.edu/projects/bistro-box/>
[8]"Chess Project Park." Sustainable Land Lab. N.p., n.d. Web. 31 Aug. 2014. <http://landlab.wustl.edu/projects/chess-pocket-park/>
[9]"HUB:Hybrid Urban Bioscapes." Sustainable Land Lab. N.p., n.d. Web. 31 Aug. 2014. <http://landlab.wustl.edu/projects/hub/>