Vision & Goals

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Vision and Goals

All that is certain about the future of St. Louis is that there will be change. The SLUP serves as a guide to help us respond to those changes. As the future arrives, this vision sets the intention for what St. Louis will be like in the future.

This vision for land use was shaped by hundreds of St. Louis residents who weighed in about their priorities for the future of St. Louis. See Community Engagement (page 142) for more details about public input on the vision and goals.

Through these efforts, the social, economic, and physical divides across St. Louis will be stitched back together, creating a city that feels whole, strong, and flourishing.

This transformation will support St. Louis city to continue to be the heart of the region, building forward momentum and fostering a shared belief that together we can create positive change through intentional, thoughtful, and proactive efforts.

Each of these themes and their associated goals (described on the following pages) helped shape the future land use map and land use designations. The Allied Strategy Recommendations, beginning on page 250, also offer detailed guidance on how to move this vision forward in ways that complement the future land use map.

The Vision

St. Louis will be a city that is equitable, thriving, and growing, to the benefit of all current and future residents.

By moving towards this vision, St. Louis will affirm its role as the economic and cultural heart of the region for generations to come.

The Goals

The three elements of this vision are interconnected and dependent on each other — one cannot come without the others. While this vision is lofty, the SLUP has goals that are specific to land use:

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An equitable St. Louis is one where there is intentional effort to improve conditions for people and places harmed and marginalized by past and current policies and practices.

The SLUP has three goals for equity:

1. Offer housing options that meet the diverse needs of the community and support residents staying in their neighborhoods through change and growth.
2. Intentionally reflect the opportunities and needs of disinvested areas and people in the land use designations, map, and policies.
3. Expand opportunities for more people of St. Louis to build their wealth and stake in the city by increasing their understanding and facilitating them being part of development and change, particularly people from historically disinvested communities and groups (including small-scale developers).

A growing St. Louis is one where a diversity of people, institutions, and businesses want to come to St. Louis and to stay here.

The SLUP has three goals for growing:

1. Reimagine vacancy as an asset that can be activated to support, retain, and attract residents.
2. Encourage development that builds from, improves, and enhances assets like parks, cultural and educational institutions, and the Mississippi River.
3. Guide growth and change in a manner that will help St. Louis more readily adapt to a changing climate.

A thriving St. Louis is one where all people, institutions, and businesses have what they need to flourish, succeed, and be part of a strong community.

The SLUP has three goals for thriving:

1. Ensure that all residents have safe and convenient access to core services like food and healthcare and support people’s ability to thrive in St. Louis without a car.
2. Foster community and public spaces that feel family friendly, safe, and accessible to people of all ages and abilities.
3. Foster an environment that supports the growth of jobs at a wide variety of future-facing businesses and organizations across the city, particularly in nodes, corridors, central areas, campuses, and industrial centers.

Vision Theme

Equitable

An equitable St. Louis is one where there is intentional effort to improve conditions for people and places harmed and marginalized by past and current policies and practices.

Residents of St. Louis noted that we need to reckon with and address historical racist policies and practices in order to move forward together as one city. This means seeing intentional investment, focus, and action in historically disinvested areas, which benefits the whole city by creating a more thriving place for all residents. Housing is particularly important to creating an equitable St. Louis, given the past and current harms and challenges with access to quality, affordable housing.

See existing conditions (page 178) for more details about historic inequities and context for these goals.

“Land use in St Louis needs to take a proactive role in providing sufficient housing for all groups, protect current residents, and uplift residents who continue to be harmed by racist practices.” -City Resident

“I want to see all neighborhoods rise up together, instead of areas getting left behind” -City Resident

Equitable Goal 1:

Offer housing options that meet the diverse needs of the community and support residents staying in their neighborhoods through change and growth.

Quality housing that serves the needs of St. Louis residents is essential to retaining current residents and attracting new ones. Throughout our city’s history, federal, state, and local actions have inflicted great harm on individuals, families, and communities through discriminatory housing policies that demolished communities and drove disinvestment. Those harms have yet to be rectified; the City has ample opportunity to atone for past damages and avoid causing future harms to any vulnerable communities.

Equitable Goal 2:

Intentionally reflect the opportunities and needs of disinvested areas and people in the land use designations, map, and policies.

Across St. Louis, there are communities that have been heavily impacted by disinvestment. This disinvestment can be seen in the built environment through vacancy, aging infrastructure, and neglect. At the same time, this history is part of the histories of families across St. Louis — and shapes the hopes people hold for beloved places to come back to life. Investing in these places can improve the quality of life for people who live there currently, while also supporting opportunities for potential future residents, including those with ties to neighborhoods and who may want to return. Residents see that addressing disinvested communities benefits the whole city, increasing opportunities to thrive across St. Louis.

Equitable Goal 3:

Expand opportunities for more people of St. Louis to build their wealth and stake in the city by increasing their understanding and facilitating them being part of development and change, particularly people from historically disinvested communities and groups (including small-scale developers).

Given the current complexity of the development process, residents and small developers report that they struggle to understand and navigate the steps needed to be part of development and change in St. Louis. Yet, land use can be a significant part of building wealth and cultivating committed citizens who are invested in the future of the city — which St. Louis residents want to be.

Vision Theme

Growing

A growing St. Louis is one where a diversity of people, institutions, and businesses want to come to St. Louis and to stay here.

Residents see refilling the city and growing population as a way to support and sustain a thriving and an equitable city. Having more people and more resources helps support walkable, connected communities. The first step in growth is addressing the factors causing people to leave; land use has an important role to play in supporting people to stay. Growth requires a careful balance of supporting and prioritizing the needs of current residents to keep them here as new people arrive. Growing can mean attracting new residents, including young families, immigrants, those who want a lower cost of living, and those who want a more climate-stable home. Critical to addressing a growing St. Louis is addressing vacancy, neglect, and other nuisance issues while building on the existing physical, cultural, and social assets of our community.

“We need more people to solve so many issues including safety (more bystanders), revenue (larger tax base), and job growth (communities of talent).” -City Resident

“I believe if we prioritize all residents and offer these baselines with dignity and opportunity, others will be drawn [here] because they would feel like they belong.” -City Resident

Growing Goal 1:

Reimagine vacancy as an asset that can be activated to support, retain, and attract residents.

Vacancy, and other land use nuisances that arise from neglect and cause harm, are a physical and emotional burden on neighborhoods and residents of St. Louis, adding costs and tarnishing the experience people have in their own neighborhoods and as they travel across the city. Vacancy is unequally distributed across the city, with much higher vacancy rates on the north side of the city, reflecting the historic patterns of redlining, segregation, and disinvestment. Addressing vacancy, while also addressing land uses that are nuisances or cause harm, has the potential to change the day-to-day conditions for people across the city and is a top priority for residents.

Growing Goal 2:

Encourage development that builds from, improves, and enhances assets like parks, cultural and educational institutions, and the river.

St. Louis is a city brimming with assets. For example, parks and community spaces are important neighborhood and regional destinations that draw people together and help shape the culture of St. Louis. Yet, many of St. Louis’s assets struggle with a similar set of challenges, including disconnection from each other and the rest of the city and challenges with maintenance and upkeep in the surrounding area.

Growing Goal 3:

Guide growth and change in a manner that will help St. Louis more readily adapt to a changing climate.

St. Louis, like places around the world, is threatened by the changing climate, including intensification of storms, increased flooding, and increased heat. The increased risks from these threats are not equally distributed across the city — often, the areas with the highest heat, lowest tree cover, and least stormwater infrastructure reflect historic patterns of redlining and racial segregation. Some of these risks, like flooding, have long been part of the landscape in St. Louis, but in recent decades the city has seen flooding in locations that don’t follow the river-based patterns that St. Louisans have come to expect.

Vision Theme

Thriving

A thriving St. Louis is one where all people, institutions, and businesses have what they need to flourish, succeed, and be part of a strong community.

Residents see thriving as directly connected to improving the quality of life for current and future residents. A city that serves families, children, and people of all ages by providing access to housing and amenities and creating safe and walkable spaces is seen as a place that will both attract new people and support current residents. Walkability and safety allow people to access well-paying jobs and services, which allows people to rise out of and stay out of poverty.

“Supporting families and children is the most important, because this is a population we are losing in droves.”

• City Resident

“Focus on current residents and how we can support each other… [then] more residents will come.”

• City Resident

“Putting people’s needs first is crucial, after that all other aspects will fall in place.”

• City Resident

Thriving Goal 1:

Ensure that all residents have convenient access to the things they need to thrive, including food and healthcare, without relying on a car.

Being able to thrive in St. Louis requires being able to access key amenities and needs, like groceries, employment, and healthcare. In many areas across St. Louis, residents feel that their current access is challenging and often too reliant on using a car. Many people want—and often need—to be able to get to the things they need by walking, biking, wheeling, or taking transit.

Thriving Goal 2:

Foster community and public spaces that feel family friendly, safe, and accessible to people of all ages and abilities.

For St. Louis residents to feel connected and supported, a sense of safety for people of all ages and abilities is important. Safety comes in many forms, but many people share an understanding that spaces can support a sense of safety by feeling well cared for and accessible. This is particularly important in our shared areas, community areas, and public spaces, where we gather, interact, and ideally feel not just comfortable but proud to be in the city we share together.

Thriving Goal 3:

Foster an environment that supports the growth of jobs at a wide variety of future-facing businesses and organizations across the city, particularly in nodes, corridors, central areas, campuses, and industrial centers.

For residents to thrive, there must be opportunities for well-paying jobs that are accessible and will be available long term. These opportunities are an important part of what residents identify as supporting people to rise out of and stay out of poverty, helping to strengthen the city. Businesses and organizations are also critical to attracting new residents, adding to the population, and sustaining the economic needs of the city and the region.

The Map

The plan supports an equitable St. Louis by:

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1 Connecting the northern, central, and southern parts of the city.

The north-south disconnect in the city is a significant barrier to an equitable St. Louis. The SLUP proposes that the Central Areas, which include much of the city between the Arch and Forest Park, should serve as a bridge, a connector, and a gathering place to knit the city together, enhancing the connection across north and south. In addition, the plan envisions walkable, human-oriented corridors that run north and south, bridging the many neighborhoods that they serve. Read more about Central Areas on page 102 and about Corridors on page 82.

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2 Ensuring opportunities for investment that addresses economic inequity

Some areas of St. Louis have experienced generations of disinvestment, leading to deeply inequitable outcomes across different geographies and racial groups in St. Louis. One measure of this is the city’s Economic Justice Index, which considers the history of an area, current residents, current conditions, and the kinds of opportunities available for development and growth. The SLUP advances this approach to economic justice by ensuring that higher-and medium-intensity nodes and corridors are located where it makes sense structurally in the city and that many of these areas are near places that are in high need of new services, amenities, and population regrowth. For additional strategy recommendations related to economic justice and addressing inequities, see the Allied Strategy Recommendations, starting on page 250, including those in Equity Goal 2 on page 272.

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3 Connecting areas of the city that have become disconnected

Over time, many areas of the city have become disconnected from each other by barriers like highways, vacancy, and automobile-oriented development. The SLUP connects neighborhoods and assets by supporting active land uses and human-oriented (rather than automobile-oriented) development patterns along the areas in between. For example, many Corridors are located along streets that connect different neighborhoods and centers of activity. The SLUP calls for more active and complete uses along these Corridors, and a more careful handling of automobile-oriented uses, to help make these connections stronger. The Corridors themselves become activity centers, rather than just pathways through neighborhoods. Read more about Corridors on page 82.

The plan supports a growing St. Louis by:

4 Emphasizing assets like parks, campuses, and cultural anchors

Across St. Louis, there are many strengths and assets, including parks, campuses, and cultural anchors. There are also recent and upcoming investments across the city that create positive momentum. Where appropriate, the SLUP supports a mix of more intense, complementary land uses around these assets (e.g., more housing), enhancing access for a wide range of residents. See more examples on the Map on page 56.

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5 Celebrating the urban form and shape of our historic city

The basic form of the city of St. Louis is already established — like the size of lots, existing streets and alleyways, and mix of building types — and these historic decisions set us apart clearly as an urban center for the region. While there are many opportunities for change and growth in the future, the SLUP responds to and celebrates what’s already here — the history, physical attributes, and the experiences of generations of residents shaping our shared spaces and culture. The form of St. Louis also has the capacity to welcome new residents, which can help ensure businesses stay open and spaces feel full and vibrant for everyone, especially residents who stay. See more about how the SLUP responds to the current form of St. Louis in the Land Use Designation Explainers on page 130.

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6 Encouraging growth that can be resilient and responsive to our changing climate

As the climate changes, St. Louis can expect to be hotter and have more extreme weather, with more extreme rains and stronger storms changing the experience for residents and visitors. The SLUP responds to these changing conditions by thoughtfully placing higher-intensity areas in places that are less likely to flood in heavy rain events. At the same time, lower-intensity development that is designed to absorb or retain stormwater is encouraged in areas where flooding is more likely. For example, some historic corridors in flood-prone areas are designated for lower-intensity development to better protect the existing residents and cultural assets for years to come. The plan also emphasizes the importance of integrating green infrastructure (e.g., a strong urban tree canopy, rain gardens, context-sensitive natural areas) that can help mitigate the impacts of flooding. Read more about allied strategies related to climate change in Growing Goal 3 on page 322.

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7 Connecting to the Mississippi River

The Mississippi River is an essential part of St. Louis’s history, serving as a “working waterfront” with active industry for the last two centuries. For visitors and residents no longer working in industry, the unique connection of the city to the river at the Gateway Arch grounds still highlights its important role. This plan begins to image other locations along the riverfront that could serve as unique places for connecting city and river through views or points of recreation. The river remains a working waterfront, so these “waterfront windows” are imagined as human-oriented paths and visual connections through the industrial context, to connect with the river that gave us our start. In particular, the plan expands the highly mixed-use experience just north and south of the Arch grounds, supporting more people to live and visit along the riverfront. Read more about Waterfront Windows in the allied strategies on page 313.

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The plan supports a thriving St. Louis by:

8 Supporting greater walkability within neighborhoods to serve residents

While many neighborhoods in St. Louis have a walkable historic fabric, residents frequently report not being able to access what they need within their own neighborhoods on foot. The SLUP calls for improved walkability throughout the places where people live and work in St. Louis and aims to bring people closer to the amenities they need to thrive. Neighborhood areas are encouraged to have small, neighborhood-serving businesses and other amenities like schools and churches mixed in, and areas where people live are located near nodes and corridors that concentrate amenities. Read more about design recommendations for walkability in the Designations, starting on page 70.

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9 Enabling and encouraging people to take transit, bike, and walk across the city

In addition to supporting walkable neighborhoods, the SLUP encourages active transportation across the city and decreased dependence on automobiles by expanding opportunities for making it easier for people to live near existing and proposed transit, greenways, and other investments in pedestrian and bike infrastructure. For example, the SLUP proposes greater intensity of nodes and corridors along proposed transit lines and along corridors with regular transit service so people can take advantage of these new resources without driving, accessing more of the city and the things they need. Read more about recommendations for allied strategies to improve walkability in Thriving Goal 1, page 346.

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10 Allowing for a greater mix of uses across the whole city

Historically, land use plans have determined which specific uses were allowed in specific areas of the city. This means places to live may be separated from places to work or places to shop. To support greater walkability and a more urban experience, the SLUP now allows and encourages a greater mix of uses across much of the city, including neighborhood-serving businesses within neighborhoods, housing within corridors and nodes, and flex industrial areas that can transition over time to a mix of uses. Read more about the mix of uses encouraged in different designations in the Designations, starting on page 70.

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11 Supporting and sustaining places for economic activity

The SLUP supports opportunities for employment and economic growth in the city by maintaining locations that are core to the current economy, such as industrial areas along the riverfront and in locations with rail access. The SLUP also builds on existing assets and strengths to support economic growth, expanding spaces for businesses and organizations of all sizes in Nodes, Corridors, Neighborhoods, Campuses, and Central Areas. These designations also offer greater flexibility for new and emerging uses that may have less impact than historic manufacturing or production. Read more about the mix of uses that support economic activity in Nodes, Corridors, Neighborhoods, Campuses, and Central Areas in different designations in the Designations, starting on page 70.

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The Map

The map assigns a specific land use designation to each parcel of land in St. Louis City based on the shape, size, and future aspiration for that location. The map may be updated from time to time to reflect changes to the aspiration for specific areas, which might be raised by newly-adopted neighborhood plans, major changes in ownership or use, or other relevant changes in conditions.

The table below gives an at-a-glance explanation of each designation in the SLUP. These designations are defined by the form of the buildings — like how tall they are and where the parking is located.

For each characteristic (including height, residential units per building, and parking locations), specific expectations and rules must be established through zoning. Maximums (for height and units per building) mean that there may be many smaller buildings in areas with this designation.

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Since the SLUP celebrates and builds on the current form of St. Louis, it can be challenging to see just how aspirational this vision is — particularly because many places that are nodes and corridors may already feel that way. Yet, the SLUP helps guide change that will create a high-quality, connected city by responding to and celebrating what’s already there.

These tables show a few places where the SLUP aspires for change from the current conditions. Visit the designation pages to see aspirations for other designations.

Higher-Intensity Node at Kingshighway and Natural Bridge

Medium-Intensity Node at Dr. Martin Luther King Boulevard and Grand Avenue

Lower-Intensity Node at Loughborough Commons

Central Areas East along Washington near Jefferson

Central Areas West around Vandeventer

Lower-Intensity Corridor along N. Broadway

Medium-Intensity Corridor along N. and W. Florissant Avenues

Higher-Intensity Corridor along South Grand

Flex Industrial along Branch Street in Hyde Park

Other Open Space along Odell Avenue in Ellendale

SLUP Transportation Elements

In addition to land use designations, the SLUP map also depicts certain important transportation elements. At their most basic level, the transportation elements depict how people access locations across the city. But the spatial location of transportation elements also largely define the very form and shape of the city itself. The location of many land use features are the result of past transportation infrastructure investments.

The transportation elements shown have an important relationship with the adjacent land uses, and may directly influence land use designations. In some cases, the infrastructure associated with transportation elements may be the primary factor defining the way adjacent land can or should be used, in other cases it may be just one contributing aspect among many.

The SLUP map shows the location of both currently existing and planned transportation elements to give the land use designations the ability to both acknowledge what exists today and to proactively anticipate significant planned additions or changes to the transportation elements. Because the SLUP is general in nature, not every transportation feature in the St. Louis landscape can be shown. What is shown are significant, lasting features which have long-term implications for the spaces they traverse.

Just as specific land use designations can be updated over time, the transportation elements can also change to reflect planned or completed projects, new planning, or evolving best practices.

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Current Transportation Categories:

Highways Beginning in the 1950’s, highways in St. Louis were constructed by overlaying their locations across the existing street and parcel fabric. This led to a connected limited access highway system which facilitated regional transportation, but often also created negative impacts or significant demolition in places where highways were built. There are no new planned highways in the City of St. Louis. To the contrary, most planning now focuses on ways to reduce the space occupied by existing highways, particularly ramp and interchange footprints.

MetroLink There are currently two MetroLink routes and 13 MetroLink stations (of 38 total stations) in the City of St. Louis. The MetroLink light rail system is a regional system providing service to the City of St. Louis, St. Louis County, and St. Clair County, IL. The City of St. Louis, in partnership with Bi-State Metro Transit, is currently planning a street running 10 station expansion known as the MetroLink Green Line.

Greenways Greenways are high quality off-street bikeways and multi-use trails which serve multiple forms of non-motorized travel. Both the City of St. Louis and agency partners are engaged with significant expansions to the Greenway system. Originally envisioned as a means of linking parks, waterways, and natural spaces, many new greenways are being planned as an integrated component of reconstructed major streets, increasing their relationship to adjacent land use regulations.

Loop Trolley The Loop Trolley is a street running heritage streetcar providing service from Forest Park to the Delmar Loop in both the City of St. Louis and neighboring University City. The Loop Trolley is operated by Bi-State Metro Transit.

Railroads Often following convenient topography, many rail lines in St. Louis pre-date today’s street network. Prior to the interstate highway system, railroads were the primary means of travel between cities for both passengers and freight. St. Louis has a major rail yard immediately south of downtown St. Louis in the Mill Creek Valley. While passenger service is no longer a major function of the rail network, rail still provides the primary means of transporting many kinds of freight. Because rail lines often have limited crossing points and run in their own right of way, they have a significant impact on adjacent land use and transportation networks.

Waterfront Windows Waterfront windows are places where people can access the Mississippi River, or may be able to the future. The SLUP map provides guidance on locations where access may be possible in the future, or current access could be enhanced. It is critical these locations are connected to quality cycling and pedestrian amenities.

The Land Use Designations

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A higher-intensity node would allow buildings with a maximum height of 8 to 15 stories, but would include buildings that are smaller. Parking would not be allowed in front or to the side of buildings.

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Land Use Designations Introduction

The primary use of the Strategic Land Use Plan is in development and land use policy decisions. When someone wants to make a change to policies that shape how land can be used in St. Louis city, the SLUP serves as a legal guide for the Planning Office and other relevant departments to evaluate the idea and assist in the development process. City staff then make recommendations to groups like the resident-led Planning Commission and the Board of Aldermen. The land use designations are categories that are applied to each parcel of land in St. Louis. These designations help generally describe the future vision or aspiration for all of the types of areas within the city, describing what kinds of buildings, uses, and forms will be encouraged. Another way to put it is that the SLUP’s land use designations represent different “types of places” that we are trying to encourage throughout the city.

The following pages provide the specifics for each designation, including encouraged uses, discouraged uses, and guidance on how land uses should connect to streets, sidewalks, and the public realm.

How do neighborhood plans complement the SLUP’s land use designations?

Neighborhood and district plans help communities imagine, create, and adopt a specific and fine-grained vision for the future of their neighborhood. The SLUP’s designations offer a general vision based on a city-wide view. But as communities create their own plans, they may build on the SLUP designations to envision more specific ideas (such as, “within this Node, we’d like to see a grocery store”), or they may update the SLUP designations (such as, “we’d like to see this Lower-Intensity Corridor become a Medium-Intensity Corridor”). Neighborhood plans are also more holistic in nature — addressing topics like youth, health, and culture alongside land use — and may make site-specific recommendations for development or preservation at key sites.

The SLUP should not promote land use that is out of sync with what a neighborhood plan calls for; in the future, the SLUP may be updated because of decisions made in neighborhood plans. A requirement of the neighborhood plans is a proposed land use map for the neighborhood that shows the neighborhood plans’ vision and goals. The SLUP will be regularly updated based on recommendations from adopted neighborhood plans. When the SLUP is used to review proposals, formally adopted neighborhood and district plans are also consulted as supplements to the Comprehensive Plan.

What do these designations mean for existing buildings and uses?

The SLUP is a guide for future land use. Existing buildings and land uses may remain as they are, and as those sites change into the future, the SLUP will help set the guardrails for what can happen in those places. As the SLUP is implemented through zoning, the specific rules and regulations for future land use will better match what is called for in the plan.

What is the difference between land use and zoning?

Generally speaking, land use defines the vision and goals for land, while zoning is the legal mechanism that implements that vision by regulating what can actually be built or done on a specific plot of land. The overhaul of the City’s zoning code is therefore a key next step following the adoption of the SLUP.

While the land use designations define a generalized, relative height range, it is the zoning code that will hone in and define a maximum height. For any one land use designation, there may be multiple zoning designations. Consider this table comparing land use and zoning.

Transition Zones

In creating and applying the designations to parcels across the city, one of the criteria considered was to ensure that there was not the potential for drastic height transition between areas of Higher-Intensity, like a Higher-Intensity Node, and adjacent areas, such as a Medium-Intensity Neighborhood. Factors such as existing neighborhood height, lot depth, and proximity were used to determine, in part, what intensity a parcel would receive. That said, in some cases, there is a potential for fairly severe transitions that may or may not be desirable to a given geography. As such, as part of the zoning overhaul, close attention must be paid to potential areas where there may be height transitions.

A more thorough analysis of transitions should be completed as part of the forthcoming zoning overhaul.

St. Louis Street Sections

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Neighborhoods Overview

What are Neighborhoods?

Neighborhoods are areas that are primarily residential but include other uses that serve people living in that area, including small parks, gardens, neighborhood shops, schools, and religious institutions, among other things. Neighborhoods make up much of the land across the city.

Why are Neighborhoods important?

Neighborhoods areas are important because these are the main places where people live. Neighborhoods need to support a wide range of people, cultures, and styles, but all neighborhoods include some of the everyday amenities that people want to live near. The Neighborhood designations also support the creation of more high-quality places for people to live.

Currently, Neighborhoods in St. Louis have a wide range of conditions, including places that are very dense, places that have high vacancy, places that are more walkable, and places that are more automobile oriented. Some Neighborhoods have neighborhood-serving businesses and amenities, while others do not. Many Neighborhoods are not currently at the level of residential density that they were originally built to support. In addition, there are many institutional buildings throughout Neighborhoods, some occupied and some vacant or underutilized.

The Neighborhood designations address some of these conditions by supporting different levels of residential density, allowing a variety of housing types, and establishing relative levels of height. Neighborhood designations also support a mix of uses to encourage businesses and amenities that serve the surrounding residents.

What happens to institutional buildings within Neighborhoods?

Many institutional buildings, like schools and religious buildings, are located within Neighborhoods. If these buildings are no longer in use as institutional spaces, they may be considered for reuse as community-serving amenities or as residential space with a larger scale than the surrounding area. If the building is demolished, new construction should align with the vision and level of density as described in the intensity level of a given Neighborhood designation.

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Existing Neighborhood Conditions

This drawing illustrates some of the common challenges that currently exist in Neighborhoods.

The Neighborhood designations support these goals of the SLUP:

• Offer housing options
• Reflect needs and opportunities of disinvested communities
• Expand opportunities to build wealth through land use
• Address vacancy
• Build from and improve on assets
• Adapt to changing climate
• Foster more places for jobs

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Lower-Intensity Neighborhood in Ellendale

• Mostly residential area with housing that is similar in height and size to the historic buildings
• Primarily buildings with driveways rather than alleys

Higher-Intensity Neighborhood in Columbus Square

• Mostly residential area with housing that is similar in height and size to the historic buildings
• Potentially very dense housing, with many people living there
• Shops, restaurants, and other commercial uses, especially at corners

Medium-Intensity Neighborhood in the Greater Ville

• Mostly residential area with housing that is similar in height and size to the historic buildings
• Some neighborhood-serving businesses like shops

Legend Neighborhoods Higher-Intensity Medium-Intensity Lower-Intensity

Transportation Existing MetroLink Routes Planned MetroLink Route Existing Greenways Planned Greenways Interstate Highways Railways Loop Trolley

Open Space Rivers

Medium-Intensity Neighborhoods

What are Medium-Intensity Neighborhoods?

A Medium-Intensity Neighborhood is an area that is primarily residential and will have buildings with a maximum height of 3 stories. Buildings in this area will have a maximum of between 4 and 8 units (depending on zoning for their specific location), with the possibility to include an accessory dwelling unit (ADU), which is a smaller, independent residence located on the same lot. Parking would be discouraged in front of or to the side of buildings, and there will be street parking in many Medium-Intensity Neighborhood areas. In some higher flood risk areas, Medium-Intensity Neighborhoods should consider building-based flood resilience strategies and additional civil infrastructure; see G3.1 on page 323 for more information. In other areas green infrastructure should be considered; see G3.2 on page 327 for more information.

⬚ figure Example in the Greater Ville

⬚ figure Example on Hickory Street in Lafayette Square

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These areas will encourage and/or allow:

• Many types of housing, ranging from small- and medium-scale multi-unit buildings to single-unit buildings
• Limited types of commercial activities and uses, including smaller retail and offices in corner commercial spaces
• Institutions like schools and religious buildings
• Small parks and public open spaces, including community gardens
• Urban agriculture in locations where it can be appropriately integrated into its surrounding neighborhood context
• Limited utility installations, like substations or renewable energy generation, that are integrated into the surrounding context
• Limited small-scale manufacturing and artisanal production, where integrated into the surrounding context

In these areas, the following uses will be discouraged:

• Multi-unit buildings that have more than 8 units (with the exception of existing multi-unit buildings that are more dense)
• Most industrial uses
• Automobile-related commercial activities, like gas stations and auto repair
• Entertainment-related commercial activities
• Hotels and other larger, collective commercial lodgings
• Open spaces that have limited access, like cemeteries and fenced-off stormwater detention areas

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New Medium-Intensity Neighborhoods

This drawing illustrates some of the conditions and types of uses that are generally encouraged in Medium-Intensity Neighborhoods.

Higher-Intensity Neighborhoods

What are Higher-Intensity Neighborhoods?

A Higher-Intensity Neighborhood is an area that is primarily residential and will have buildings with a maximum height of 5 to 8 stories. These areas might be very dense, with many units per building. Parking would be discouraged in front of or to the side of buildings. These areas will be very walkable, located in places where there is or will be access to transit and amenities. In some higher-flood-risk areas, Higher-Intensity Neighborhoods should consider building-based flood resilience strategies and additional civil and hybrid infrastructure; see G3.1 on page 323 for more information.

⬚ figure Example on Pershing

⬚ figure Example in Forest Park Southeast

⬚ figure Example in Columbus Square

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Legend Neighborhoods Higher-Intensity

These areas will encourage and/or allow:

• Many types of housing, ranging from large multi-unit to single-unit buildings
• Some types of commercial activities and uses, especially at corner locations, including mid-size retail and offices
• Institutions like schools and religious buildings
• Small parks and public open spaces, including community gardens
• Urban agriculture in locations where it can be appropriately integrated into its surrounding neighborhood context
• Limited utility installations, like substations or renewable energy generation, that are integrated into the surrounding context
• Limited lodging opportunities, if their impacts on residential uses can be mitigated
• Limited small-scale manufacturing and artisanal production, where integrated into the surrounding context

In these areas, the following uses will be discouraged:

• Any industrial uses
• Automobile-related commercial activities, like gas stations and auto repair
• Entertainment-related commercial activities
• Open spaces that have limited access, like cemeteries and fenced-off stormwater detention areas

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New Higher-Intensity Neighborhoods This drawing illustrates some of the conditions and types of uses that are generally encouraged in Higher-Intensity Neighborhoods.

Lower-Intensity Neighborhoods

What are Lower-Intensity Neighborhoods?

A Lower-Intensity Neighborhood is an area that is primarily residential and will have buildings with a maximum height of 3 stories. Lower-Intensity Neighborhoods may have driveways leading from the street to a garage, in part because they often do not have alley access. Many Lower-Intensity Neighborhoods were developed after World War II, and are newer than other parts of St. Louis. In many of these areas, there will also be street parking. Buildings in Lower-Intensity Neighborhood areas may have one or two units, with the possibility in some places to include an accessory dwelling unit (ADU), which is a smaller, independent residence located on the same lot. In some higher flood risk areas, Lower-Intensity Neighborhoods should consider building-based strategies and green infrastructure to mitigate flood risk. See G3.2 on page 327 for more information.

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Example on Kingston Court in Penrose

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Example in North Pointe

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Example in St. Louis Hills

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Legend Neighborhoods Lower-Intensity

These areas will encourage and/or allow:

• Different types of smaller-scale housing, including single-unit and two-unit buildings, but also including existing multi-unit buildings
• Smaller retail and offices
• Institutions like schools and religious buildings
• Small parks and public open spaces, including community gardens
• Urban agriculture in locations where it can be appropriately integrated into its surrounding neighborhood context
• Limited utility installations, like substations or renewable energy generation, that are integrated into the surrounding context
• Limited small-scale lodging opportunities, if and where their impacts on residential uses can be mitigated

In these areas, the following uses will be discouraged:

• New multi-unit buildings that have 3 or more units
• Any industrial uses
• Most commercial uses especially automobile-related activities like gas stations and auto repair
• Open spaces that have limited access, like cemeteries and fenced-off stormwater detention areas

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New Lower-Intensity Neighborhoods

This drawing illustrates some of the conditions and types of uses that are generally encouraged in Lower-Intensity Neighborhoods.

Corridors Overview

What are Corridors?

Corridors are areas along key streets that focus commercial uses and amenities but also include residential uses. This designation is about the buildings and lots rather than the traffic or conditions on the street. The City’s Transportation and Mobility Plan provides additional guidance about context-appropriate street design and use.

Why are Corridors important?

Corridors help St. Louis improve walkability, increase access to amenities, strengthen connections between neighborhoods, make good use of transit routes, and add more vibrancy in strategic locations through new housing and jobs. In most instances, corridor designations are located in places that already are more commercial in character; however, the corridor designation, as drawn and described, aspires to a much more walkable and human-oriented built environment (rather than a built environment designed for cars). Corridors also do and should continue to include many types of housing.

Currently, many areas like this in St. Louis have evolved to be too oriented toward automobiles. Buildings are set back from the street, and often there is no pedestrian access to buildings from the sidewalk. Parking lots and curb cuts hamper the experience and safety of walking. Areas of activity across St. Louis are disconnected from each other, and residents often don’t have walkable access to amenities or jobs near where they live. Areas that are or will be well served by transit don’t have destinations (like jobs, shopping, entertainment) all the way along them.

The Corridor designations seek to improve some of these current conditions. All corridors will help cultivate a more walkable environment that is safe for pedestrians and all other users. Active land use along corridors also aims to create a continuous, connected experience between different areas of activity. Corridors will provide nearby residents with greater access to amenities, places to work, and housing. Finally, by preserving and adding housing and businesses in these areas that are or will be well served by transit, corridors will support more users of these assets.

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Existing Corridor Conditions

The corridors designations support these goals of the SLUP:

• Foster more places for jobs
• Address vacancy
• Reflect needs and opportunities of disinvested communities
• Build from and improve on assets
• Offer housing options

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Medium-Intensity Corridor along N. and W. Florissant Avenues

• More businesses that are easy to walk up to, with fewer curb cuts and fewer drive-thrus
• Fewer facilities with trucks
• A mix of historic and newer homes
• Resilient to flooding

Higher-Intensity Corridor along South Grand

• More walkable buildings and businesses with fewer curbcuts
• Greater connection between different neighborhood areas
• More amenities that serve neighbors

Lower-Intensity Corridor along N. Broadway

• Shopping areas with parking lots to the side, with plenty of ways to walk to the shops safely
• Few facilities with trucks
• Resilient to flooding

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Medium-Intensity Corridors

What are Medium-Intensity Corridors?

A Medium-Intensity Corridor could have buildings with a maximum height of 3 to 5 stories, depending on the location, but will include buildings that are smaller. These corridors are pedestrian focused. Buildings will have entrances that lead directly to the sidewalk and will be designed to accommodate people arriving via foot, bus, and bicycle, not just by car. Parking is encouraged behind buildings or in district-serving parking structures or lots and discouraged in front of buildings. Pedestrian safety and activity is important in Medium-Intensity Corridors, so intact streetscapes with minimal or no curb cuts, an intact tree canopy, sufficient sidewalk space, and good lighting conditions are encouraged. Where appropriate, quality landscaping should be used to create a welcoming, pedestrian-oriented environment. In some higher-flood-risk areas, Medium-Intensity Corridors should consider building-based flood resilience strategies and additional civil infrastructure; see G3.1 on page 323 for more information. In other areas green infrastructure should be considered; see G3.2 on page 327 for more information.

⬚ figure Example in Old North St. Louis

⬚ figure Example in Gravois Park

⬚ figure Example on South Grand near Arsenal

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Legend Corridors Medium-Intensity

These areas will encourage and/or allow:

• Active ground floors with a mix of uses, including retail and housing
• A mix of newer and older buildings
• Many types of housing, especially multi-unit buildings, and some single-unit or two-unit buildings
• Many types of commercial activities and uses
• Many types and sizes of retail
• Community-serving institutions and amenities like health care and daycare
• Research and development activities, including industrial activities focused on research and development, and small-scale manufacturing and artisanal production
• Institutions like schools and religious buildings
• Small parks and public open spaces
• Limited utility installations, like substations or renewable energy generation, that are integrated into the surrounding context

In these areas, the following uses will be discouraged:

• Large-scale, suburban-style regional retail stores
• Automobile-related commercial activities, like gas stations and auto repair
• Uses with drive-thru windows
• Most industrial uses
• Open spaces that have limited access, like cemeteries and fenced-off stormwater areas

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New Medium-Intensity Corridor

Medium-Intensity Corridors

This street—once occupied by vacant lots, surface parking, and abandoned storefronts—is now a bustling mixed-use corridor. The streets are lined with greenery, and the transit glides by as people bike or walk to work and errands. Fletcher’s day began with a trip to a local cafe (just steps from his apartment) that serves breakfast, complete with rooftop urban gardens where they grow their own herbs and produce. Fletcher finds himself at a pedestrian-centered plaza with extensive green spaces, food trucks, and local vendors. The plaza is filled with public art and designed to host community events.

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It’s a beautiful day in St. Louis! Here is what St. Louisans are doing at 1:34 PM on Friday, June 16, 2050.

Higher-Intensity Corridors

What are Higher-Intensity Corridors?

A Higher-Intensity Corridor could have buildings with a maximum height of 8 to 10 stories, depending on the location, but will include buildings that are smaller. These corridors will be very pedestrian-focused. Buildings will have entrances that lead directly to the sidewalk and will be designed to accommodate people arriving via foot, bus, and bicycle, not just by car. Parking is discouraged in front or to the side of buildings. Instead, parking is encouraged to be behind, within, or under the building or offered in district-serving parking structures or lots (for more information, see T2.3 on page 368). Pedestrian safety and activity is especially important in Higher-Intensity Corridors, so intact streetscapes with minimal or no curb cuts, an intact tree canopy, sufficient sidewalk space, and good lighting conditions are encouraged. Where appropriate, quality landscaping should be used to create a welcoming, pedestrian-oriented environment. In some higher-flood-risk areas, Higher-Intensity Corridors should consider building-based flood resilience strategies and additional civil and hybrid infrastructure; see G3.1 on page 323 for more information.

⬚ figure Example on Grand Boulevard

⬚ figure Example of Woodward Ave Downtown Detroit

⬚ figure Example in Delmar in the Loop

⬚ figure Legend Corridors Higher-Intensity

These areas will encourage and/or allow:

• Active ground floors with a mix of uses, including retail and housing
• A mix of newer and older buildings
• Many types of housing, especially multi-unit buildings
• Many types of commercial activities and uses
• Community-serving institutions and amenities like health care and daycare
• Many types and sizes of retail
• Research and development activities, including industrial activities focused on research and development, including small-scale manufacturing and artisanal production
• Institutions like schools and religious buildings
• Small parks and public open spaces
• Limited utility installations, like substations or renewable energy generation, that are integrated into the surrounding context

In these areas, the following uses will be discouraged:

• Large-scale, suburban-style regional retail stores
• Automobile-related commercial activities, like gas stations and auto repair
• Uses with drive-thru windows
• Most industrial uses
• Open spaces that have limited access, like cemeteries and fenced-off stormwater areas

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New Higher-Intensity Corridor

Lower-Intensity Corridors

What are Lower-Intensity Corridors?

A Lower-Intensity Corridor will have buildings with a maximum height of 3 stories but will include buildings that are smaller. Parking will be encouraged to the side of the building but discouraged in front of the building. These corridors are more automobile oriented than Higher-or Medium-Intensity Corridors, although buildings in these corridors will support people walking and taking the bus by including quality sidewalks and direct connections between buildings and sidewalks. Care should be taken to reduce curb cuts to minimize conflicts between pedestrians and automobiles. Where appropriate, landscaping can also be used to create an environment that is safe for pedestrians. In some higher-flood-risk areas, Lower-Intensity Corridors should consider building-based strategies and green infrastructure to mitigate flood risk. See G3.2 on page 327 for more information.

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Legend Corridors Lower-Intensity

⬚ figure Example on Broadway in Baden

⬚ figure Example on Chippewa in Northampton

⬚ figure Example of Third Degree Glass Factory on Delmar

These areas will encourage and/or allow:

• Active ground floors with a mix of uses, including retail and housing
• A mix of newer and older buildings
• Many types of housing, especially multi-unit buildings, and some single-unit or two-unit buildings
• Many types of commercial activities and uses, including automobile-related commercial activities, like gas stations or auto repair if they are appropriately integrated into their surrounding context and designed to support a human-oriented pedestrian environment
• Many types and sizes of retail, including large-scale regional retail stores that might be discouraged in other districts
• Community-serving institutions and amenities like health care and daycare
• Research and development activities, including industrial activities focused on research and development, including small-scale manufacturing and artisanal production
• Institutions like schools and religious buildings
• Small parks and public open spaces
• Limited utility installations, like substations or renewable energy generation, that are integrated into the surrounding context

In these areas, the following uses will be discouraged:

• Most industrial uses
• Open spaces that have limited access, like cemeteries and fenced-off stormwater areas

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New Lower-Intensity Corridor

Nodes Overview

What are Nodes?

Nodes are strategic locations where housing, retail, offices, public spaces, services, and other community-serving amenities might be concentrated. Some nodes build off existing areas within St. Louis with this character and use, while others would be new.

Why are Nodes important?

Nodes are located to provide access to amenities to people across St. Louis and bring more people to strategic locations through new housing and jobs. Nodes help cultivate a more walkable environment that is safe for pedestrians and all users, particularly people using transit.

Currently, many areas that could be nodes in St. Louis are designed for automobiles. There are large parking lots, with limited pedestrian access from the sidewalk and transit stops, and many curb cuts and driveways that make it difficult to walk. Some of these areas do not include a wide mix of uses but instead focus on only retail. In addition, many parts of St. Louis do not have amenities nearby that people can access by walking or taking transit.

Nodes seek to improve some of these conditions. All nodes will help cultivate a more walkable environment that is safe for pedestrians and all users. Nodes also seek to provide residents, both those nearby and those coming from farther away, with amenities, places to work, and housing. Finally, by adding housing and businesses in areas that are or will be served by transit, nodes will support more users of these assets.

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The nodes designations support these goals of the SLUP:

• Foster more places for jobs
• Address vacancy
• Reflect needs and opportunities of disinvested communities
• Build from and improve on assets
• Offer housing options

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Higher-Intensity Node at Kingshighway and Natural Bridge

• More nearby neighbors, including within this corner
• More walkable conditions with fewer drive-thrus
• More amenities that serve neighbors
• Intersecting transit lines
• Resilience to flooding

Medium-Intensity Node at Dr. Martin Luther King Boulevard and Grand Avenue

• More nearby neighbors, including within this corner
• More walkable conditions with fewer drive-thrus
• More amenities that serve neighbors

Lower-Intensity Node at Loughborough Commons

• Continued location for amenities that serve nearby neighbors and people coming from other places
• Safer and more accessible routes for people walking and biking to businesses
• Resilient to flooding

Legend Nodes

• Higher-Intensity
• Medium-Intensity
• Lower-Intensity Transportation
• Existing MetroLink Routes
• Planned MetroLink Route
• Existing Greenways
• Planned Greenways
• Interstate Highways
• Railways
• Loop Trolley
• Open Space
• Rivers

Medium-Intensity Nodes

What are Medium-Intensity Nodes?

A Medium-Intensity Node is an urban, mixed-use place that will allow buildings with a maximum height of 3 to 5 stories, depending on the location, but will include buildings that are smaller. These nodes will be very pedestrian focused, with high-quality streetscapes (including minimal or no curb cuts, appropriate landscaping, wide sidewalks, and good lighting conditions) that supports people traveling by foot, transit, and bicycle, not just by car. Parking would be discouraged in front or to the side of buildings. Instead, parking instead should be encouraged to be behind, within, or under buildings or offered in district-serving parking structures or lots. In some higher-flood-risk areas, Medium-Intensity Nodes should consider building-based flood resilience strategies and additional civil infrastructure; see G3.1 on page 323 for more information. In other areas green infrastructure should be considered; see G3.2 on page 327 for more information.

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Example on Jefferson and Gravois

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Example in Hi-Pointe

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Example in Southwest Garden

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These areas will encourage and/or allow:

• Active ground floors with a mix of uses, including retail and housing
• A mix of newer and older buildings
• Many types of housing, especially multi-unit buildings, and some single-unit or two-unit buildings
• Many types of commercial activities and uses
• Many types and sizes of retail
• Research and development activities, including certain industrial activities focused on research and development (e.g., prototyping, small-scale manufacturing, artisanal production)
• Institutions like schools and religious buildings
• Small parks and public open spaces
• Limited utility installations, like substations or renewable energy generation, that are integrated into the surrounding context

In these areas, the following uses will be discouraged:

• Large-scale, suburban-style regional retail stores
• Automobile-related commercial activities, like gas stations and auto repair
• Most industrial uses
• Open spaces that have limited access, like cemeteries and fenced-off stormwater detention areas
• Uses with drive-thru windows

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New Medium-Intensity Node This drawing illustrates some of the conditions and types of uses that are generally encouraged in Medium-Intensity Nodes.

Higher-Intensity Nodes

What are Higher-Intensity Nodes?

A Higher-Intensity Node is an urban, mixed-use place that will offer a lot of flexibility on height, generally with a maximum of 8 stories but even higher in strategic locations, but will include buildings that are smaller. These nodes will be very pedestrian focused, with high-quality streetscapes (including minimal or no curb cuts, appropriate landscaping, wide sidewalks, and good lighting conditions) that support people traveling by foot, transit, and bicycle, not just by car. Parking would be discouraged in front or to the side of buildings. Instead, parking will be encouraged behind, within, or under buildings or in district-serving parking structures or lots. Quality landscaping should be used to create a welcoming, pedestrian-oriented environment. In some higher-flood-risk areas, Higher-Intensity Nodes should consider building-based flood resilience strategies and additional civil and hybrid infrastructure; see G3.1 on page 323 for more information.

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Example in Fountain Park

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Example in the West End

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Legend Nodes ● Higher-Intensity

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Example on Grand and Gravois in Tower Grove South

These areas will encourage and/or allow:

• Active ground floors with a mix of uses, including retail and housing
• High-transparency first floors
• A mix of newer and older buildings
• Many types of housing, especially multi-unit buildings
• Many types of commercial activities and uses
• Many types and sizes of retail
• Research and development activities, including certain industrial activities focused on research and development (e.g., prototyping, small-scale manufacturing, artisanal production)
• Institutions like schools and religious buildings
• Small parks and public open spaces
• Limited utility installations, like substations or renewable energy generation, that are integrated into the surrounding context

In these areas, the following uses will be discouraged:

• Large-scale, suburban-style regional retail stores
• Automobile-related commercial activities, like gas stations and auto repair
• Most industrial uses
• Open spaces that have limited access, like cemeteries and fenced-off stormwater detention areas
• Uses with drive-thru windows

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New High-Intensity Node

Higher-Intensity Nodes

This intersection—once occupied by a carwash, a drive thru fast-food restaurant, a gas station, and an empty parking lot—has transformed into a bustling, high-intensity node: an entertainment district with theaters, music venues, and high-rise rooftop restaurants. Tabitha is enjoying lunch from one such restaurant that has a panoramic view of the Gateway Arch.

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It’s a beautiful day in St. Louis! Here is what St. Louisans are doing at 1:34 PM on Friday, June 16, 2050.

Lower-Intensity Nodes

What are Lower-Intensity Nodes?

A Lower-Intensity Node is a more suburban-style mixed-use place that would allow buildings with a maximum height of 3 stories but include buildings that are smaller. Lower-intensity nodes are more automobile oriented than Higher-or Medium-Intensity Nodes, although buildings in these nodes will also support people walking, taking the bus, or biking, not just by car. Sidewalks, landscaping, trees, and other on-site improvements should ensure that pedestrians have safe, convenient, and accessible ways to move between the sidewalk and buildings. Parking would be supported in front and to the side of buildings in Lower-Intensity Nodes. In some higher-flood-risk-areas, Lower-Intensity Nodes should consider building-based strategies and green infrastructure to mitigate flood risk. See G3.2 on page 327 for more information.

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Example in the Central West End

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Example in St. Louis Hills

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Example at Van Aken Center in Shaker Heights, OH

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These areas will encourage and/or allow:

• Many types of housing, especially multi-unit buildings, and some single-unit or two-unit buildings
• Many types of commercial activities and uses, including automobile-related commercial activities, like gas stations or auto repair if they are appropriately integrated into their surrounding context and designed to support a human-oriented pedestrian environment
• Many types and sizes of retail, including large-scale regional retail stores that might be discouraged in other districts
• Research and development activities, including industrial activities focused on research and development, including small-scale manufacturing and artisanal production
• Institutions like schools and religious buildings
• Small parks and public open spaces
• Limited utility installations, like substations or renewable energy generation, that are integrated into the surrounding context

In these areas, the following uses will be discouraged:

• Most industrial uses
• Open spaces that have limited access, like cemeteries and fenced-off stormwater detention areas

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New Lower-Intensity Node

Central Areas Overview

What are Central Areas?

Central Areas are the parts of the city that have a strong urban character. These areas support larger buildings and utilize significant existing infrastructure. The Central Areas are very mixed-use, with housing, attractions, offices, businesses, parks, and more. In these areas, public space will foster gathering and interaction and walking, biking, and taking transit will all be well supported.

Why are Central Areas important?

The Central Areas designations recognize the regional and economic importance of these areas and emphasize the downtown character, where current or historic lot sizes allow buildings to be larger and there’s greater existing infrastructure. These areas are the most intense part of the city, where many streets could be corridors and many intersections could be nodes, so this designation supports that highly mixed-use and dense aspiration.

Currently, the central parts of St. Louis face a variety of challenges, including vacancy and many buildings and lots designed for automobiles rather than all residents. There are gaps in quality pedestrian infrastructure, and areas of activity are separated from each other. While there are some views and connection to the Mississippi River, this access is limited. These are also areas where many visitors to St. Louis go, whether visiting an attraction or attending a convention, and there’s an opportunity to further enhance the walkability and connections that support economic and cultural activity. In addition, the nature of downtowns in almost every American city is changing. Remote work has cooled office demand, so traditional Central Business Districts must adapt to welcome and encourage a much broader range of uses and functions.

The Central Areas designation seeks to encourage greater activation of these spaces, allowing them to continue to serve a regional role in the economic and cultural growth of St. Louis while also encouraging a broad mix of uses that serve the needs of residents and visitors from within the region and around the world. These areas are envisioned to support gathering and interaction between people, helping to bridge the divides across the city. The Central Areas are also envisioned as more pedestrian oriented, supporting use of existing and planned transit, greenways, and other bicycle and pedestrian infrastructure. Central Areas also support connection to the Mississippi River by preserving and expanding views of the river and expanding opportunities for connection north and south of the Arch grounds.

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Existing Central Areas Conditions This drawing illustrates some of the common challenges that currently exist in central areas.

SLUP Designation: Central Areas

The Central Areas designations support these goals of the SLUP:

• Create safe, accessible spaces
• Build from and improve on assets
• Foster more places for jobs
• Offer housing options

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Central Areas East along Washington near Jefferson

• A wide mix of uses, including residential, commercial, and research and development in both old and new buildings
• Taller buildings, as well as smaller buildings
• A very walkable, bikeable environment with few surface parking lots and curb cuts

Central Areas West around Vandeventer

• A mix of older and new buildings, including new multi-unit residential buildings
• Few automobile-oriented uses such as gas stations
• More filled-in lots

Central Areas East

What are Central Areas East?

Central Areas East are areas that support buildings with a maximum height of 30 stories or even higher in strategic locations. Smaller buildings will also be allowed. In Central Areas East, parking is discouraged in the front or to the side of buildings. Central Areas East will be a very walkable, bikeable, and transit-friendly part of the city, with high-quality pedestrian infrastructure and good connections to new and planned transit, greenways, and bike paths. Quality transit facilities will be available in Central Areas East.

Throughout Central Areas East, views of the Arch, civic spaces, and the Mississippi River will be preserved, enhanced, and created. Along the edge of the Mississippi River in Central Areas East, views and connection to the river will be enhanced through a mix of buildings and open space uses.

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Legend Central Areas Central East

These areas will encourage and/or allow:

• A mix of newer and older buildings
• Many types of housing, especially multi-unit buildings
• Many types of commercial activities and uses, including retail and offices that may be very large
• Research and development activities, including certain industrial activities focused on research and development (e.g., prototyping, small-scale manufacturing, artisanal production)
• Institutions like schools and religious buildings
• Small parks and public open spaces
• Limited utility installations, like substations or renewable energy generation, that are integrated into the surrounding context

In these areas, the following uses will be discouraged:

• Automobile-related commercial activities, like gas stations and auto repair
• Most industrial uses, especially those that create divisions between neighborhoods
• Open spaces that have limited access, like cemeteries and fenced-off stormwater detention areas
• Uses with drive-thru windows

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Central Areas East

Economic decline, population loss, the shift of businesses to suburban areas, and the impact of remote work all contributed to what one unsympathetic newspaper infamously referred to as a “doom loop.” But downtowns are resilient; St. Louis managed to reinvent itself. Gone are the many surface parking lots, the elevated highways that hemmed downtown in and spewed air and noise pollution, and the auto-centric low-density development that once passed for progress. Today, Jiro can look out the window of his office on the 20th floor at a revitalized downtown, albeit one that bears little resemblance to the 9–5 single-use central business district of the 20th century. This downtown is more like a mixed-use, high-density residential neighborhood where offices, residential towers, and commercial corridors overlap.

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It’s a beautiful day in St. Louis! Here is what St. Louisans are doing at 1:34 PM on Friday, June 16, 2050.

Central Areas West

What are Central Areas West?

Central Areas West are areas that support buildings up to a maximum height of 20 to 30 stories, depending on their specific location. Smaller buildings will also be allowed, and many parts of Central Areas West remain characterized by smaller historic buildings. Parking is discouraged in the front or to the side of buildings, and Central Areas West will be very walkable, bikeable, and transit friendly, with high-quality pedestrian infrastructure and good connections to new and planned transit, greenways, and bike paths. Quality transit facilities will be available in Central Areas West.

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Example in the Central West End

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Example on Pine Blvd in the Central West End

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Covenant Blu-Grand Center

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These areas will encourage and/or allow:

• A mix of newer and older buildings
• Many types of housing, especially multi-unit buildings
• Many types of commercial activities and uses, including retail and offices that may be very large
• Research and development activities, including certain industrial activities focused on research and development (e.g., prototyping, small-scale manufacturing, artisanal production, etc.)
• Institutions like schools and religious buildings
• Small parks and public open spaces
• Limited utility installations, like substations and renewable energy generation, that are integrated into the surrounding context

In these areas, the following uses will be discouraged:

• Automobile-related commercial activities, like gas stations and auto repair
• Most industrial uses, especially those that create divisions between neighborhoods
• Open spaces that have limited access, like cemeteries and fenced-off stormwater detention areas
• Uses with drive-thru windows

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Campuses Overview

What are Campuses?

Campuses are locations of larger institutions that have a distinctly different character than the rest of the city. They are areas where there is a common, uniting mission and where institutions engage in their own long-term planning for the use and development of land. Many of these areas also have consolidated ownership that allows for coordinated, long-term planning. Some Campuses identified in the SLUP are locations that indicate a need or opportunity for a collective vision and plan in specific geographies. These aspirational Campuses offer flexibility for the City and encourage collaboration with institutions and property owners to meet the unique needs of the surrounding community.

In contrast to campuses indicated with this designation, smaller institutions are designated as part of the surrounding fabric, whether that's a corridor, node, or neighborhood.

Why are Campuses important?

Larger institutions can be strong assets for St. Louis, providing jobs, economic activity, and public spaces and bringing people to the city. The designation for campuses supports the internal physical plans for each of these institutions, which may not fit within the existing zoning or more general land use plan framework.

Currently, there’s a wide variety in the conditions for campuses. Some campuses have limited activity at the street level and limited connection for people in surrounding areas. Other campuses have their building systems and loading docks facing urban parts of the city. Many campuses have a mix of modern and historic buildings, as well as many well-maintained public spaces and open areas.

The Campus designation seeks to improve on the existing strengths of campuses by supporting greater connections between campuses and the surrounding city, including improving pedestrian connections, while still supporting the internal plans of these areas. This designation will give institutions the flexibility to grow while continuing to promote human-oriented design and development.

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The Campus designation supports these goals of the SLUP:

• Build from and improve on assets
• Foster more places for jobs
• Create safe, accessible spaces

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Campuses

What will Campuses be like?

Campuses will still be highly varied across St. Louis, based on the needs and internal plans of each campus. The maximum building height will vary by campus. While parking will be discouraged in front of buildings in Campuses, side parking may be supported where appropriate. Campuses should be encouraged to connect to the street and the surrounding community at their edges, and when possible to include pedestrian pathways through campus that connect the surrounding communities, rather than sit within surface parking lots. Campuses should not feel like fortresses.

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Example of Harris Stowe State University-St. Louis, MO

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Example of Barnes-Jewish Hospital-St. Louis, MO

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Example of Saint Louis University-St. Louis, MO

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These areas will encourage and/or allow:

• Offices, as well as other types of commercial activities as they are relevant
• Smaller-and medium-sized retail that supports institutional needs
• Research and development activities, including industrial activities focused on research and development
• Community-serving institutions and amenities like health care, educational facilities, religious buildings, and daycares
• Many types of housing, especially multi-unit buildings and group living (e.g., dormitories), and some single-unit or two-unit buildings
• Small parks and public open spaces
• Limited utility installations, like substations or renewable energy generation, that are integrated into the surrounding context

In these areas, the following uses will be discouraged:

• Automobile-related commercial activities, like gas stations and auto repair
• Uses with drive-thru windows
• Most industrial uses
• Open spaces that have limited access, like cemeteries and fenced-off stormwater areas

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New Campus

This drawing illustrates some of the conditions and types of uses that are generally encouraged in Campuses.

Industrial Areas Overview

What are Industrial Areas?

Industrial areas are spaces where manufacturing, shipping, research and development, and other types of production happen. Industrial areas often have different kinds of land and space needs than other parts of a city and may have an impact on the quality of the environment around them.

Currently, there are some industrial areas in St. Louis that have high rates of vacancy, particularly those with older buildings that no longer suit the needs of current industry. Other areas struggle with poor quality infrastructure like roads to support their operations. There are some parts of St. Louis where industrial uses are mixed into neighborhoods, leading to concern about environmental and health impacts on the surrounding residential areas.

Why are Industrial Areas important?

Industry of all kinds is important to the economy and experience of the city of St. Louis. Industrial areas support jobs and economic growth, and growing industry can help make vacant land productive again. Industrial areas often attract users with specific transportation needs, so their location in proximity to highways, rail lines, and the river is important to their success.

The two Industrial Area designations, Core and Flex, seek to address some of these conditions by acknowledging that different types of industry are important to the city but should have different expectations and locations. See the sections for Core and Flex for more details.

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Existing Industrial Area Conditions

This drawing illustrates some of the common challenges that currently exist in industrial areas.

The Industrial Areas designations support these goals of the SLUP:

• Foster more places for jobs
• Address vacancy
• Reflect needs and opportunities of disinvested communities
• Adapt to changing climate
• Build from and improve on assets

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These call-outs are examples of the aspirations supported by the updated SLUP.

Core Industrial along Hall Street in North Riverfront

• Continued use of sites for industrial uses, including logistics and manufacturing
• Continued truck traffic and use of barges along the Mississippi River

Flex Industrial along Branch Street in Hyde Park

• Continued use of some industrial sites for businesses and jobs that have less impact on health
• Transition of some warehouses and industrial sites to other uses, commercial and some types of housing

Legend Industrial Areas Core Flex Transportation Existing MetroLink Routes Planned MetroLink Route Existing Greenways Planned Greenways Interstate Highways Railways Loop Trolley Open Space Rivers

Core Industrial

What is Core Industrial?

Core Industrial includes spaces for factories, logistics, trucking, and other heavier industrial uses, but may also include lighter uses. Buildings could have a maximum height of 5 stories and could include parking in the back, front, or to the side, depending on what is needed on the site.

Core Industrial Areas support a wide range of industrial uses, including research and development, light industrial, logistics, and heavy industrial. Uses in Core Industrial Areas may be fairly intensive, and may involve increased truck traffic.

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Example in Carondelet

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Example on Natural Bridge in Mark Twain

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Example in Near North Riverfront

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These areas will encourage and/or allow:

• Limited sidewalks and pedestrian infrastructure
• All industrial uses, including research & development, light industrial, logistics, and heavy industry
• Utility installations
• Parks and public open spaces, particularly in specific locations to enhance Waterfront Windows (see page 313)

In these areas, the following uses will be discouraged:

• Places where people live
• Commercial activities and uses
• Institutional spaces like schools and religious buildings

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New Core Industrial Areas This drawing illustrates some of the conditions and types of uses that are generally encouraged in Core Industrial.

Flex Industrial

What is Flex Industrial?

Flex Industrial allows for uses that are less intensive than Core Industrial and may include the possibility to transition to other mixes of use, including housing and commercial, in the future. Buildings may have a maximum height of 3 to 8 stories, depending on the surrounding conditions. Parking could be in the back, front, or to the side of buildings. Flex Industrial Areas will be more supportive of people walking nearby than Core Industrial Areas, with improved pedestrian and bicycle infrastructure.

Flex Industrial Areas will support research and development uses, as well as light industrial uses. These uses will have less environmental impact than the full range of industrial uses permitted in Core Industrial Areas. The Flex Industrial designation recognizes that industry is varied and there is more compatibility between some types of industrial uses and housing and commercial.

⬚ figure Example in Forest Park Southeast

⬚ figure Example on Kemper Ave west of Tower Grove Park

⬚ figure Example in Near North Riverfront

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Legend Industrial Areas Flex

These areas will encourage and/or allow:

• Industrial uses including research & development and light industrial
• Many types of commercial activity and uses, including offices and automobile-related commercial uses
• Smaller and mid-sized retail
• Institutions like schools and religious buildings
• Utility installations
• Small parks and public open spaces
• Some types of housing, including multi-unit, single-unit buildings, and group living where appropriate

In these areas, the following uses will be discouraged:

• More intensive industrial uses like logistics and heavy industry
• Open spaces that have limited access, like cemeteries and fenced-off stormwater detention areas

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New Flex Industrial Areas

Flex Industrial & Waterfront Windows

Once upon a time, getting to the Mississippi River was difficult and there wasn't much to do once you got there. Today, while the riverfront is still primarily industrial, bike and pedestrian paths lead you safely through industrial neighborhoods to the enhanced Mississippi riverfront greenway, which is fully integrated with parks, art installations, and wildlife habitat. Hafeez is picking up the waterfront bike path from downtown, where she'll pass through a revitalized Flex Industrial zone.

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It's a beautiful day in St. Louis! Here is what St. Louisans are doing at 1:34 PM on Friday, June 16, 2050.

Open Space Overview

What are Open Spaces?

Open Spaces are the areas of the city that mostly do not have buildings on them but rather have outdoor areas that serve recreation, community, ecological, and economic functions.

Why are Open Spaces important?

Open Spaces create places for the public to connect with each other and also help address environmental conditions including heat, flooding, wildlife habitat, and more. Intentional, supported Open Spaces are also an important part of addressing vacancy.

St. Louis has an amazing park system and incredible public open space across the city. However, many residents are concerned about the maintenance of public open space, as well as the walking and biking connections to these spaces. The city also includes areas with extensive vacancy and many pressures from the changing climate, including increasing heat and increasing severity of rain storms.

The two Open Spaces designations, Parks & Community Spaces and Other Open Spaces, seek to improve some of these conditions by being more clear about what is expected for different types of open space and allowing for new and evolving needs in these types of spaces in St. Louis.

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SLUP Designation: Open Space

The Open Space designation support these goals of the SLUP:

• Create safe, accessible spaces
• Build from and improve on assets
• Adapt to changing climate
• Address vacancy
• Reflect needs and opportunities of disinvested communities
• Expand opportunities to build wealth through land use

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Parks/Community Space at Carter Park Extension

• Spaces accessible to the public for recreation and other activities
• Connections to and through the space for people walking and biking

Other Open Space at Bellefontaine Cemetery

• Continued use as a cemetery with limited public access

Other Open Space along Odell Avenue in Ellendale

• Open spaces that support flood resilience and absorb water

Parks & Community Space

What is Parks & Community Space?

Parks & Community Space are areas that are accessible to the public, whether for recreation, events, or other activities, regardless of whether they are owned by the city. These are spaces that are meant to be used in ways that the public can access into perpetuity. Parks & Community Space may include fields, buildings, recreation facilities, plazas, planted areas, natural areas, and more. Connections to and through parks should be safe and welcoming for people arriving by foot or bicycle.

⬚ figure O'Fallon Park next to the O'Fallon neighborhood

⬚ figure South St. Louis Square Park in the Patch

⬚ figure Chambers Park in Jeff Vanderlou

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These areas will encourage and/or allow:

• Limited commercial activities and uses, such as eating and drinking or entertainment establishments, including temporary uses
• Limited utility installations, like substations or renewable energy generation, that are integrated into the surrounding context

In these areas, the following uses will be discouraged:

• Most commercial activities
• Any industrial or residential uses
• Any institutional uses
• Open spaces that have limited access, like cemeteries and fenced-off stormwater detention areas

⬚ figure New Parks & Community Space

This drawing illustrates some of the conditions and types of uses that are generally encouraged in Parks & Community Space.

Other Open Space

What is Other Open Space?

Other Open Space includes areas with no or few buildings that are reserved for important social, ecological, and economic needs. These areas are less accessible to the public and may be fenced or enclosed. These sites might include areas that support stormwater detention or retention, renewable energy generation, urban farming or gardening, or habitat areas. Some open spaces that serve specific functions and have more limited access, like cemeteries and the water treatment plant, are also indicated with this designation.

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Example in Baden

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Example at Bellefontaine Cemetery

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Example in Dutchtown

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Legend N Open Space Other Open Space

These areas will encourage and/or allow:

• Open spaces that have limited access, like cemeteries and fenced-off stormwater detention areas
• Public open spaces
• Limited utility installations

In these areas, the following uses will be discouraged:

• Any commercial, industrial, or residential uses
• Any institutional uses

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New Other Open Space

Other Open Space

Many flood-prone areas have reinvented themselves as green, cultivated hubs. Here, vacant lots have given way to thriving open spaces, community gardens, and urban farms. Homes are fewer and are spread out between lots where wildflowers, native grasses, and forested areas have been restored to their natural state. Neighborhoods like these feel more like small, self-sufficient villages, with rain gardens, natural ponds, and quiet footpaths that wind through the open spaces. Kesia is passing through one of the many community orchards that have been planted throughout St. Louis.

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It’s a beautiful day in St. Louis!

Here is what St. Louisans are doing at 1:34 PM on Friday, June 16, 2050.

Land Use Designation Explainers

What makes something a Neighborhood?

Neighborhood areas have different levels of intensity based on the sizes and features of the existing and historic buildings and lots. Lower-Intensity Neighborhoods have lower maximum building heights, fewer units, and may have driveways, while Higher-Intensity Neighborhoods have higher maximum building heights, encourage more units, and are less automobile oriented. Each Neighborhood designation is mapped to reflect the existing or historic character in different parts of the city. Each Neighborhood designation supports appropriate commercial activities. Zoning districts and regulations will provide much more detail on the specific location and nature of housing types, heights, and densities. See the description for each intensity level for more detail.

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What makes something a Medium-Intensity Neighborhood?

Medium-Intensity Neighborhoods are located throughout the city—most of the land in the city is assigned this designation because it matches the current use and historic city fabric. These areas are primarily residential and include a mix of different sizes of residential buildings, with buildings with a maximum height of three stories.

What makes something a Higher-Intensity Neighborhood?

Many Higher-Intensity Neighborhoods are located in areas that already support very dense housing and have transit access, including areas that border the Central Areas. Some Higher-Intensity Neighborhoods are located in appropriate places with access to assets such as parks or views of the Mississippi River. In addition, some locations that already have very dense housing are indicated as Higher-Intensity Neighborhoods, reflecting and expanding on the existing character.

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What makes something a Lower-Intensity Neighborhood?

Lower-Intensity Neighborhoods are primarily located in areas where there is no or very limited alley access, making it necessary for a driveway to reach a garage. These areas tend to be more automobile oriented but will still include sidewalks and pedestrian infrastructure. Many Lower-Intensity Neighborhoods deviate from the orthogonal grid pattern that characterizes most of St. Louis.

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What is the difference between Corridors and Neighborhoods?

Corridors are areas where the long-term, future vision is to have a wider mix of uses, including places to work, retail locations, and different types of housing. There are some areas within neighborhoods where there are a few neighborhood-serving businesses in a row, but the long-term vision is to maintain the primarily residential character of the area; these areas are still designated Neighborhoods, a designation that is also supportive of neighborhood-serving commercial uses in corner spaces and/or where they have historically existed.

What makes something a Corridor?

Corridors will have different levels of intensity, ranging from lower building heights and more auto-orientation to relatively taller building heights in areas that are human-oriented (with fewer curb cuts, drive-thrus, or uses that serve cars). See the descriptions of each intensity level for more detail.

Lots that face the corridor (with the front entrance of the building or the address) are generally designated as corridors, including buildings that are currently residential or institutional, which are supported within Corridors. Lots that have an edge along a Corridor but face a side street are generally not included as part of the Corridor, unless those lots are currently vacant.

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• This building is on Kingshighway; but because it faces Fountain Ave (a side street), it does not get the Corridor designation.

• These buildings are on Kingshighway; because they face Kingshighway, they get a Corridor designation.

What is the difference between Corridors and Nodes?

Corridors, located along streets, tend to have lots that are a consistent depth in one area. Nodes tend to be at the intersections of streets where there are larger lots that can enable larger buildings and more complex uses.

Example: Dr Martin Luther King intersection at Grand Blvd

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• Medium-Intensity Corridor
• Medium-Intensity Node

What makes something a Lower-Intensity Corridor?

Lower-Intensity Corridors are located in areas that can support a variety of uses yet are more automobile oriented in form. Many Lower-Intensity Corridors are located near the edges of the city, where they can serve not only surrounding city residents but also others traveling from elsewhere in the region by automobile.

What makes something a Medium-Intensity Corridor?

Medium-Intensity Corridors are located in areas where there is access to transit and places to walk. Some are located to encourage rebuilding of the historic fabric of streets that may currently have high vacancy rates. These Corridors indicate a place where the vision is to have a greater mix of uses in the long-term, as opposed to being primarily residential.

Example: Grand Blvd intersection at St. Louis Ave

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• Medium-Intensity Corridor
• ★ Vacant lots with Mixed-use potential
• ● Existing Businesses

What makes something a Higher-Intensity Corridor?

Higher-Intensity Corridors are located in areas where there are existing taller buildings and/or a historic fabric and lot sizes that can support taller buildings. These areas are also located in places that have or will have access to high-frequency transit, or near other amenities such as campuses or major parks.

Example: Grand Blvd intersection at Russel Blvd

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• ★ More than 15 stories

What is the difference between Nodes and Corridors?

Nodes tend to be at the intersections of streets where there are larger lots that can enable buildings that are bigger. Corridors, located along streets, tend to have lots that are a consistent depth in one area.

What makes something a Node?

Nodes have different levels of intensity, ranging from lower maximum building heights and more auto-oriented to taller maximum building heights and less auto-oriented (with fewer curb cuts, drive-thrus, or uses that serve cars). See the descriptions of each intensity level for more detail.

Nodes typically include lots that have a different size or shape than the surrounding lots and tend to include some larger sites that can support larger buildings. Within Nodes, there could be larger buildings and/or several buildings that complement one another as part of a planned development. Within Nodes, the historic urban fabric may be reestablished. Nodes are generally located at highly-visible sites, near existing or planned transit, or at intersections of Corridors.

What makes something a Medium-Intensity Node?

Medium-Intensity Nodes are primarily located at the intersection of Corridors where the buildings have a range of maximum heights from 3 to 5 stories and are more pedestrian oriented, in order to align with and fill in the existing fabric of the city.

What makes something a Higher-Intensity Node?

Higher-Intensity Nodes are typically located in areas where there is or will be significant transit access via light rail or high-frequency buses. Higher-Intensity Nodes are also located at the intersections of Corridors, where there are sites that allow for larger buildings.

What makes something a Lower-Intensity Node?

Lower-Intensity Nodes are located in areas that can support concentrating amenities and uses and have the potential to support a more regional market area, including shoppers from outside of the city. While Lower-Intensity Nodes set higher standards for pedestrian access than exist at almost any Node in the city currently, they will remain somewhat more automobile-oriented in order to fulfill their potential. Many Lower-Intensity Nodes are typically located near the edges of the city or highway access points, where they can serve not only surrounding city residents but others traveling from elsewhere by automobile. Many also are located in places where they can serve as a buffer to industrial areas.

Example: Hampton Ave intersection at Chippewa St

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• Medium-Intensity Node
• These parcels are located at a recognizable intersection and are larger and different in character than the surrounding parcels, leading to a Node designation.

What makes something a Central Area?

Central Areas will be very dense, with a wide mix of uses including housing, offices, businesses, retail, attractions, institutions, parks, and more. Central Areas will include many taller buildings, as well as smaller buildings. Central Areas will be less automobile oriented, with parking encouraged behind, within, or underneath buildings, rather than in surface lots. Access for cars that interrupt the sidewalk (e.g. driveways) will be discouraged, and pedestrian infrastructure will be high quality.

Why aren't there Corridors or Nodes in Central Areas?

Central Areas, as very intense parts of the city, can be thought of as a cluster of nodes and corridors. Rather than call out each corridor and node, the Central Areas designations support many of the same conditions that are supported in Higher-Intensity Nodes and Higher-Intensity Corridors but with taller building heights that match the existing conditions in these places. More specific neighborhood- or district-level plans may identify streets or intersections for future focus.

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Example: Natural Bridge Ave near Goodfellow Blvd

• Lower-Intensity Neighborhood
• Lower-Intensity Node

What makes something a Central Area East?

Central Areas East covers the part of the city that includes Downtown, with much larger buildings and substantial infrastructure to support these buildings. It also includes areas that are currently used for things like logistics and industrial uses, as well as underutilized space that divides the neighborhoods of Downtown, Downtown West, and Midtown from the surrounding neighborhoods, which are smaller in scale. This designation is applied to these areas to support the vision of connections across the central section of the city by allowing a gradual transition away from land uses that contribute to disconnects. Central Areas East also includes areas just north and south of the Arch grounds.

What makes something a Central Area West?

Central Areas West includes the part of the city west of the Central Areas East designation and east of Forest Park. These areas are defined by a wide mix of types of buildings, including many taller buildings, and a high intensity of uses and activity. Central Areas West ends where the city's current fabric transitions to a primarily residential neighborhood, rather than a highly mixed-use space.

What makes something a Campus?

Campuses are located where there are larger institutional uses that share a common mission and internal plan for their land. As a rule of thumb, institutions that are smaller than 10 acres are considered part of their surrounding fabric while larger institutions with 10 or more contiguous acres receive a Campus designation. The SLUP also envisions a number of future Campuses in areas around major economic development initiatives and as a means of restoring anchors that once contributed deeply to their surrounding neighborhoods. These more aspirational Campuses have the potential to grow over time through further community-based planning and collective commitment. As smaller institutions grow and expand, additional Campus designations may be added, depending on the goals of the institution and the surrounding community.

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Example: Barnes Jewish Hospital and adjacent Campus

• Campus
• Higher-Intensity Neighborhood
• Central Areas West
• Parks / Community Space

What makes something a Core Industrial Area?

Core Industrial Areas are located in places where they can use the critical transportation networks, including barge traffic on the Mississippi River, highways, and railroads. Core Industrial Areas typically have larger lots that can more easily serve logistics and modern manufacturing and, due to the potential of concern about noxious environments, are located farther away from residential areas.

What makes something a Flex Industrial Area?

Flex Industrial is located in areas where the urban form includes smaller, walkable-scale blocks or buildings that could be repurposed to be more mixed use, as well as in areas that abut or are surrounded by Neighborhoods, Corridors, Nodes, or Central areas. Flex Industrial often is located to serve a buffer between core industrial uses and other parts of the city.

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Example: KIPP Inspire Academy

• Kipp Inspire Academy is campus-like in many ways, but it does not get a Campus designation because it is less than 10 acres.

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Example: Interstate 55 intersection at 5 Broadway

• Flex Industrial Areas
• Core Industrial Areas

What makes something a Parks & Community Space?

Parks & Community Space is located throughout the city, within primarily residential areas, along Corridors, and in other areas. As an asset, Parks & Community Space is meant to be accessed by people, so it should be located in places where they can be reached by walking, biking, transit, and automobile.

What makes something an Other Open Space?

Other Open Space is located throughout the city. Locations depend on conditions like the historic use of the site, if the location is strategic for stormwater management, and lot size and location. Outdoor utilities, such as water and sewage treatment and renewable energy generation, and community gardens and urban farm sites that are intended to continue as these uses into perpetuity (i.e., they are placed in a land trust for this purpose) are designated Other Open Space. Future Other Open Space areas may be designed through neighborhood planning processes. As neighborhood plans identify other desired open spaces — whether for ecological, recreational, or agricultural purposes — these could be added to the map in future SLUP amendments.

Example: Calvary Cemetery and flood-prone lots along it ⬚ figure

SLUP Guidance for Updates

The SLUP is a living document, used daily to help guide change in the city of St. Louis. While a complete overhaul like the one completed in 2025 happens only every 10 to 20 years, the SLUP should be regularly updated to capture how conditions and land use are changing across St. Louis.

There are some things that will automatically trigger a review and update of the SLUP. Whenever a neighborhood or district plan is adopted by the Planning Commission, staff should review the SLUP to ensure that it is aligned with the new recommendations. This review should take place shortly following the adoption of the more targeted plan to ensure that the SLUP can support the goals developed by the community.

In addition, on an annual basis, City staff should review the SLUP for other changes that might impact the future aspirations for land use across the city. During this review, the staff will check the SLUP parcel map for the following:

01 Any new green infrastructure or stormwater facilities that might impact Other Open Space.

02 Any new or additional gardens or farms that are intended as permanent installations that might impact Other Open Space.

03 Any changes to adopted flood or hazard maps that might impact Other Open Space.

04 Any new parks or community spaces over 1 acre.

05 Any land returned to use, such as highways that have been removed.

06 Any new Campuses over 10 acres, or any Campuses that are no longer being planned together.

07 In some instances, adopted Redevelopment Plans or Community Unit Plans may also require modification to the SLUP.

This annual review is recommended to take place at a consistent time annually, scheduled to ensure that the SLUP is updated in a timeline that aligns with other work of the Planning Commission.

While this update process is expected to be led by City staff, members of the Planning Commission should be involved in reviewing the list of considerations in advance of the staff review. The proposed updates should be shared via a public hearing process before their adoption by the Planning Commission.

The Planning Commission may consider a proposed use to be in conformity with the Strategic Land Use Plan if the proposed use is allowed in an adjacent Strategic Land Use Category.

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SLUP Development Scenarios

Because the SLUP is a policy guide, it can't force development to happen. Moreover, while the SLUP's designations define height ranges and offer design guidelines for massing, setbacks, and other physical characteristics, these things will be more strictly defined in the zoning code. And shifting demographics, national political trends, the whims of the market, and other unknowns make accurately predicting development anywhere difficult. These scenarios — which show how development might respond to the SLUP in a few Nodes, Corridors, and Neighborhoods — should not be taken too literally. But they do illustrate three potential scenarios: 1) a “business-as-usual,” pre-SLUP adoption scenario that is included for context; 2) a “less development” scenario that follows the SLUP’s designations; and 3) a “more development” scenario that also follows the SLUP’s designations.

This drawing shows potential future development guided by the SLUP, indicated by the black buildings. On the next page, see examples of other scenarios.

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SLUP Development Scenarios

Existing Condition

Business-as-Usual (pre SLUP adoption)

SLUP-Informed Less Development

SLUP-Informed More Development

Jefferson & Gravois

⬚ figure ⬚ figure ⬚ figure ⬚ figure

Kingshighway & MLK

⬚ figure ⬚ figure ⬚ figure ⬚ figure

Legend

• New Development
• Corridors
  • Higher-intensity
  • Medium-intensity
  • Lower-intensity
• Nodes
  • Higher-intensity
  • Medium-intensity
  • Lower-intensity
• Neighborhoods
  • Higher-intensity
  • Medium-intensity
  • Lower-intensity
• Industrial
  • Core
  • Flex
• Open Space
  • Parks/Community Space
  • Other
• Campuses
• Central Areas
  • Central Areas East
  • Central Areas West