A $380 million project bridges a freeway and connects the Gateway Arch to downtown St. Louis.
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.”
FULL STORY: St. Louis Reconnects With the Gateway Arch and Its Pioneer Spirit
Newly Minted St. Louis Gateway Arch National Park Reviewed
The recently revitalized and designated as a National Park St. Louis Gateway Arch National Park is described by park planner Clement Lau.
Design Review: Revamped Gateway Arch an Urban Success
Pulitzer Prize-winning critic Blair Kamin assesses the remodeled Gateway Arch in St. Louis, prior to its big public opening on July 3.
Reconnecting St. Louis to its River
According a recent article in the Riverfront Times, perceptions of the Mississippi River among St. Louis residents are poor, but a collection of "river evangelists" and patient business owners are working to change that reality.
What ‘The Brutalist’ Teaches Us About Modern Cities
How architecture and urban landscapes reflect the trauma and dysfunction of the post-war experience.
‘Complete Streets’ Webpage Deleted in Federal Purge
Basic resources and information on building bike lanes and sidewalks, formerly housed on the government’s Complete Streets website, are now gone.
The VW Bus is Back — Now as an Electric Minivan
Volkswagen’s ID. Buzz reimagines its iconic Bus as a fully electric minivan, blending retro design with modern technology, a 231-mile range, and practical versatility to offer a stylish yet functional EV for the future.
Healing Through Parks: Altadena’s Path to Recovery After the Eaton Fire
In the wake of the Eaton Fire, Altadena is uniting to restore Loma Alta Park, creating a renewed space for recreation, community gathering, and resilience.
San Diego to Rescind Multi-Unit ADU Rule
The city wants to close a loophole that allowed developers to build apartment buildings on single-family lots as ADUs.
Electric Vehicles for All? Study Finds Disparities in Access and Incentives
A new UCLA study finds that while California has made progress in electric vehicle adoption, disadvantaged communities remain underserved in EV incentives, ownership, and charging access, requiring targeted policy changes to advance equity.
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.
City of Albany
UCLA Lewis Center for Regional Policy Studies
Mpact (formerly Rail~Volution)
Chaddick Institute at DePaul University
City of Piedmont, CA
Great Falls Development Authority, Inc.
HUDs Office of Policy Development and Research