Gateway Arch Finally Connects to Downtown St. Louis

A $380 million project bridges a freeway and connects the Gateway Arch to downtown St. Louis.

1 minute read

December 19, 2017, 1:00 PM PST

By snewberg @JoeUrbanist


The Gateway Arch Park Foundation in St. Louis is leading a campaign to better connect the Gateway Arch to downtown. A combination of projects, including renovation of the entrance to the arch itself, the visitor center, and open space around the arch, are intended to improve the experience for visitors. 

Valkenburgh Associates worked with Cooper Robertson and James Carpenter Design Associates to create a large glass entrance, new museum, movie theater, gift shop and cafe for the arch itself. Valkenburgh also redesigned the entrance to face west towards downtown, including a pedestrian plaza built over Interstate 44. The plaza provide dramatically improved pedestrian connections to downtown destinations such as Kiener Plaza Park and Citygarden, the new National Blues Museum that opened in 2016, and Ballpark Village, the mixed-use district around Busch Stadium.  

Says Ryan McClure, spokesperson for the Gateway Arch Park Foundation:

"The arch restoration represents a lot of where we’ve been as a city and where we want to go....But until this project, the arch was separated from the city it represented.”

Wednesday, December 13, 2017 in New York Times

portrait of professional woman

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching. Mary G., Urban Planner

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching.

Mary G., Urban Planner

Get top-rated, practical training

Close-up of "Apartment for rent" sign in red text on black background in front of blurred building

Trump Administration Could Effectively End Housing Voucher Program

Federal officials are eyeing major cuts to the Section 8 program that helps millions of low-income households pay rent.

April 21, 2025 - Housing Wire

Logo for Planetizen Federal Action Tracker with black and white image of U.S. Capitol with water ripple overlay.

Planetizen Federal Action Tracker

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

April 30, 2025 - Diana Ionescu

Close-up on Canadian flag with Canada Parliament building blurred in background.

Canada vs. Kamala: Whose Liberal Housing Platform Comes Out on Top?

As Canada votes for a new Prime Minister, what can America learn from the leading liberal candidate of its neighbor to the north?

April 28, 2025 - Benjamin Schneider

Close-up on woman in white and blue striped knee-length dress standing next to mint green cruiser bike resting against low wrought iron fence in front of green lawn.

Paris Voters Approve More Car-Free Streets

Paris Mayor Anne Hidalgo says the city will develop a plan to close 500 streets to car traffic and add new bike and pedestrian infrastructure after a referendum on the proposal passed with 66 percent of the vote.

45 minutes ago - domus

Close-up of man in manually operated wheelchair waiting at urban crosswalk.

Making Mobility More Inclusive

A new study highlights the challenges people with disabilities continue to face in navigating urban spaces.

1 hour ago - Greater Good Magazine

US and Texas flags flying in front of Texas state capitol dome in Austin, Texas.

Texas Bills Could Push More People Into Homelessness

A proposal to speed up the eviction process and a bill that would accelerate enforcement of an existing camping ban could make the state’s homelessness crisis worse, advocates say.

2 hours ago - The Texas Tribune