This piece from The St. Louis Post-Dispatch looks at how the city is trying to coerce itself into the new idea- and innovation-based economy.
"[W]e don't make so much anymore, and most of those factories are gone now. The big corporate headquarters have fallen away, too. Being 'middle-American' - both socially and geographically - means less in a fast-changing global economy. More important is ideas. And innovation.
And if St. Louis hopes to thrive in this new economy, it needs to do more to nurture those ideas and the innovators who have them. It needs to draw more in, and give more oxygen to the ones already here. And it needs to claim its spot on that list of places where things happen."
Locals say the key is for the city to find an economic niche or two, find success in those niches and let that success lure others to town.
FULL STORY: Can St. Louis compete? Finding a niche

Planetizen Federal Action Tracker
A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.

Chicago’s Ghost Rails
Just beneath the surface of the modern city lie the remnants of its expansive early 20th-century streetcar system.

Amtrak Cutting Jobs, Funding to High-Speed Rail
The agency plans to cut 10 percent of its workforce and has confirmed it will not fund new high-speed rail projects.

Ohio Forces Data Centers to Prepay for Power
Utilities are calling on states to hold data center operators responsible for new energy demands to prevent leaving consumers on the hook for their bills.

MARTA CEO Steps Down Amid Citizenship Concerns
MARTA’s board announced Thursday that its chief, who is from Canada, is resigning due to questions about his immigration status.

Silicon Valley ‘Bike Superhighway’ Awarded $14M State Grant
A Caltrans grant brings the 10-mile Central Bikeway project connecting Santa Clara and East San Jose closer to fruition.
Urban Design for Planners 1: Software Tools
This six-course series explores essential urban design concepts using open source software and equips planners with the tools they need to participate fully in the urban design process.
Planning for Universal Design
Learn the tools for implementing Universal Design in planning regulations.
Caltrans
City of Fort Worth
Mpact (founded as Rail~Volution)
City of Camden Redevelopment Agency
City of Astoria
City of Portland
City of Laramie