St. Louis adopts OurPlan for six North City neighborhoods
St. Louis’ Planning Commission adopted Project Connect OurPlan on September 9, creating a new planning framework for six North City neighborhoods facing housing, vacancy, infrastructure and displacement pressures.
The city announced the action on September 10. OurPlan supplements the city’s Comprehensive Plan and covers St. Louis Place, Hyde Park, Old North St. Louis, Columbus Square, Carr Square and Jeff-Vander-Lou, the neighborhoods surrounding the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency’s west campus.
Adoption sets direction, not immediate construction or zoning changes
The adoption establishes policy direction, but it does not by itself fund construction, rezone individual parcels, approve development projects or guarantee affordable housing. The city identifies later amendments, rezoning applications, zoning-code work and agency funding decisions as necessary steps for implementation.
That distinction matters to residents, property owners and developers. The adopted plan describes recommended actions and priorities; actual changes on the ground will depend on subsequent approvals, available funding, project readiness and agency decisions.
Six neighborhoods and a multiyear process
The city says the planning process included nearly 100 meetings and working groups involving more than 1,000 residents. The process also included neighborhood steering committees, neighborhood associations, aldermen, public agencies, nonprofits and private-sector partners.
The plan is intended to coordinate neighborhood revitalization and infrastructure investment while addressing concerns about how new development could affect long-standing residents.
Housing recommendations focus on repair, vacancy and stability
OurPlan recommends expanded housing-repair resources, strategies for vacant properties, tax-abatement and stabilization tools, community land trusts, homeowner assistance and anti-displacement policies.
The plan also identifies possible funding and program pathways involving city housing programs, federal housing funds, the Affordable Housing Trust Fund, nonprofit partners and other public or private sources. Those recommendations do not guarantee that residents will receive assistance or that displacement will be prevented.
Development and zoning changes would come later
The plan recommends updates to the citywide Strategic Land Use Plan and provides location-specific guidance for the city’s ongoing zoning-code upgrade. It discusses greater flexibility for some uses, adaptive reuse, additional housing options and transitions away from certain remnant industrial uses over time.
Book 3 also says individual rezonings could be requested before the broader code upgrade is complete to accommodate specific proposals, including adaptive-reuse projects. Any such rezoning would require its own review and approval; OurPlan does not enact those changes automatically.
Infrastructure priorities include walking, transit and flood protection
The plan prioritizes sidewalk repairs, lighting, crosswalks, traffic calming, street connectivity and cycling improvements. It also calls for alignment with regional transportation investments such as the Brickline Greenway and Green Line bus rapid transit.
Environmental and quality-of-life recommendations include upgraded sewer and stormwater infrastructure, expanded tree canopy, historic-preservation guidance and a proposed “Green Edge” along Interstate 70. The proposed buffer could include a sound wall and tree planting intended to address noise and air-pollution concerns.
What residents should watch next
The city says next steps include introducing specific amendments during the annual Strategic Land Use Plan update, advancing interim rezoning applications and preparing to integrate the plan into the comprehensive citywide zoning-code update.
City agencies including the St. Louis Development Corporation, Planning and Urban Design Agency, Community Development Administration and Board of Public Service are also expected to identify funding sources, programs and catalyst projects. The plan’s implementation section describes a mix of city, state, federal, philanthropic and private funding tools rather than a single approved funding package.
For residents, renters, homeowners, neighborhood groups and developers, those proceedings will matter more than adoption alone. OurPlan creates a shared policy framework for six neighborhoods; future funding, approvals and agency projects will determine how much it changes housing conditions, public infrastructure and development patterns in St. Louis.
Sources
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