St. Louis is moving towards protecting its mid-century architectural treasures. Some see the buildings as impediments to economic development.
Margaret Gillerman catalogs the increasing awareness of, and recent efforts to protect, some of St Louis's mid-century architecture such as the flying saucer shaped Del Taco restaurant and a neighborhood of 50 ranch homes in the city of Kirkwood. A plan for a new CVS threatens an existing gem.
"Andrew Weil, executive director of Landmarks Association, defends the style against naysayers who say they just don't get what all the fuss is about. 'A lot of people may not like or appreciate Mid-Century design,' Weil said. 'Like it or not, it was an important phase in the evolution of architectural design in this country, city and area.'
Weil added: 'People's aesthetic tastes change over time.' At one point, St. Louis' signature Victorian architecture was considered gaudy and unattractive, he said. 'Now we love it.'
Read the full story: Those '50s ranch homes are finally getting some architectural respect
Move over, LA: St. Louis gears up for Olympics, invests millions in downtown redevelopment
The Missouri city will host the 2028 Olympic soccer group stage and knockout matches.
St. Louis has a Secret Stormwater Weapon Saving 100 Million Gallons from the Mississippi
The city reimburses residents who install gardens, rain barrels, and other methods that retain stormwater and decrease the risk of flooding.
St. Louis Nonprofit Builds Housing for Struggling Artists
The St. Louis Art Place Initiative purchases city-owned vacant properties and rehabilitates them, offering homeownership opportunities to local artists.
Planetizen Federal Action Tracker
A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.
California plans to bury El Niño’s downpour
If the state plays its cards right, it may be able to store a billion acre-feet of El Niño’s water in aquifers.
Desperate measures: Advocates weigh draining Lake Powell to fill Colorado River
Draining the reservoir could reduce evaporation losses by a couple hundred thousand acre-feet.
In Texas, data centers are swallowing promised parkland
Residents who moved to Taylor, Texas for a rural community now have to contend with three data centers in their backyard.
How a Chicago-sized wind farm beat the odds and powered on
The project spanned five presidential administrations and a standoff with a U.S. military base.
MTA gives itself 30 days to transform pit into basketball court
The site has been under construction since 2022; the city originally estimated it would finish the court in 2024.
FREE Course: Walkable City 1: Why Walkability?
After describing his path towards focusing on walkability as the essence of good planning, Jeff Speck marches through his five principal reasons for making more walkable places.
Reinventing Malls: Planning Alchemy—Turning Gray Fields Into Gold
The course focuses on the opportunities and imperatives that shape reinvention of mall sites.
City of Rosemead
Rutgers University, Edward J. Bloustein School of Planning and Public Policy
One Hundred Miles
Hunter College, City University of New York (CUNY)
The Architects Foundation
University of Cincinnati Online
City of Cambridge
Montrose County
The Pocatello Development Authority