Great Neighborhoods Are Needed to Attract Millennial Workers: Cortex and NGA Belong Together

By Dennis Lower

Dennis Lower is president and CEO of Cortex.

The Cortex Innovation Community is a 200-acre urban innovation district that is a 10-minute drive from the proposed location for the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency in St. Louis. Cortex is a very strong reason why NGA should choose the St. Louis site.

Cortex is a growing mixed-use technology hub that today supports more than 200 companies in the bioscience, IT and engineering sectors, providing nearly 4,000 district jobs toward our goal of 13,000 tech-related jobs and 300 companies in the decade ahead.

As NGA evaluates its alternatives, the choice is not just about today, but how well its new location will attract the brightest and best talent for decades to come. Fundamentally, site selection for a technology enterprise is driven less by physical infrastructure and more by intellectual infrastructure. That’s why the Cortex Innovation Community is located in the city of St. Louis, and why the NGA will benefit by being our neighbor.

Built on a solid vision of leveraging our region’s university and corporate research, Cortex has achieved remarkable growth in the last five years because we recognized what our assets are, what our workforce wants, and what our value proposition is to the startup and established corporate communities in the greater St. Louis region.

We are a city with incredible physical and human infrastructure: great cultural institutions, great academic institutions, great restaurants, great recreational venues and great historic neighborhoods. These are elements that strongly appeal to the increasingly millennial workforce who often seek to build their future in urban environments where steps, not miles, separate them from where they live, work and play.

Today, more than one in three American workers are millennials, growing to 75 percent of the workforce by 2025. Direct access to this talent pool is one important reason why some of our largest regional Fortune 500 companies have established a presence in Cortex.

Cortex has learned that to develop a nationally and internationally recognized innovation hub, we must intentionally create an environment that supports the lifestyle and workstyle preferences of today’s workforce — a generation that approaches the integration of live-work-play much more intentionally than Gen-Xers and Boomers. Cortex is purposely connecting to St. Louis’ core urban assets, as well as developing vibrant mixed-use environments that foster creative interactions and “collisions” among bright, socially conscious, innovative, creative people.

Nothing better demonstrates the results of our efforts than what happens every Thursday between 3 and 8 p.m. in Venture Café @4240, where 500 to 600 innovative, creative people drop by to network, socialize and get a weekly dose of entrepreneurial food-for-thought. On display every week is the heart and soul of the Cortex Innovation Community. It is arguably the most inclusive gathering anywhere in the St. Louis region by age, ethnicity, educational attainment and technology mix, and it is the largest weekly gathering of entrepreneurs in the nation; yes, in the Midwest city of St. Louis!

NGA moving closer to Cortex would be very beneficial to both of our technology-driven missions. Our proximity and that of our university sponsors would support NGA’s talent acquisition efforts, and NGA’s presence will encourage startup tech companies aligned with NGA’s mission to find a home in St. Louis and the Cortex District, where they can experience a supportive entrepreneurial environment with an abundance of startup programming.

Articles in “From the Field” represent the opinions of the author only and do not represent the views of the Community Builders Network of Metro St. Louis or the University of Missouri- St. Louis.

Community Development in St. Louis: A Call for More Regional Collaboration

By Jenny Ryan,

Jenny is the Community Development Specialist for the Community Builders Network of Metro St. Louis. She has a Master’s Degree in Urban Planning and Real Estate Development with a concentration in Community Development from Saint Louis University. She is also the co-founder of the Tower Grove Farmers’ Market.

Throughout my past year of working at the Community Builders Network (CBN) I have visited with many community development corporations, banks, philanthropic organizations and government agencies to learn about their experience working in community development in the St. Louis region. I have been heartened to see more organizations collaborating across neighborhood lines and geographic boundaries. But we can do more.

St. Louis has a history of its nonprofit organizations and city governments working independently instead of collaborating to address community development challenges. So it is welcome progress when organizations share resources and planning responsibilities to build a better St. Louis. At CBN we encourage and facilitate our member organizations to collaborate on community development projects and apply for funding jointly – collaborate instead of compete.

The neighborhoods surrounding Tower Grove Park are an excellent example of collaboration of community development organizations strategically working together to produce stronger communities. Facilitated by the Community Builders Network, the Tower Grove Neighborhoods CDC was formed from three place-based nonprofits. During the facilitation process each organization learned the strengths and weaknesses of the other. By combining complementary strengths and eventually merging organizations operationally, they have combined their knowledge and expertise to offer landlord trainings, build and renovate affordable homes (particularly nuisance properties), and conduct broader and better community engagement of residents and business owners to create a neighborhood- based plan.

As a network, CBN’s purpose is to help our members fulfill their missions while promoting collective efforts for making St. Louis a place where all residents have a chance to thrive. CBN has funded two successful collaborations of clusters of CDC members that work in different neighborhoods in close proximity. They created original workforce development programming, neighborhood beautification, neighborhood housing analysis, and funded a development position specifically for collaborative grants.  These collaborations did not achieve these results without a lot of discussion, difficulty, and sometimes conflict when discussing new ways of distributing resources in their communities.

Originally, there were four collaborations to be funded by Des Lee Collaborative Vision and CBN. But collaboration does not come without aches and pains.  Organizations may conflict on ideology or fail to maintain a consistent vision when staff turnover occurs. Sometimes, even when organizations do collaborate, the best-laid plans never get off the ground because stakeholders are just too busy keeping their own organizations operating.

Successful collaborations put the greater good of their shared neighborhood and public spaces at the forefront.  I encourage readers to reach out and engage with new partners when doing community development work and see how you can achieve more through partnerships. Get comfortable being uncomfortable. We must remain curious, not judgmental, about unfamiliar neighborhoods and communities.

And now I ask for your patience as I do a bit of self-promotion for the Community Builders Network. Please consider joining our network if you are a nonprofit doing place-based community development work, or if you are a bank or business, or developer looking to connect with those in the community development sector. We also welcome public sector and government organizations, as well as individuals looking to create a better community where they live or work.

And please make sure to attend the Community Builders Network Awards Reception Thursday, March 31, from 5:30 to 7:30 pm at T-REX downtown (free and open to the public) where we will honor those who have done important community building in St. Louis. The event is a wonderful opportunity to meet community organizations, philanthropic foundations, public and private sector, and grass roots activists in the community development field. It’s also a great way to promote your organization or business to over 250 people. Registration and sponsorship opportunities are available here.

Articles in “From the Field” represent the opinions of the author only and do not represent the views of the Community Builders Network of Metro St. Louis or the University of Missouri- St. Louis.

Rebuilding the Dream

By Melvin White

Melvin White is the President and CEO of Beloved Streets of America. He is a graduate of Hazelwood East High School, a 4-year Veteran of the United States Air Force, EMT licensed, and 20-year United States Postal Service employee.

Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. is one of Americas most storied African Americans. He won Nobel peace prize, organized some of America’s biggest protest marches, stood for diversity and is recognized worldwide for his model of civil disobedience.

Beloved Streets of America is a St. Louis-based 501c non-profit organization whose mission is to foster collaboration among individuals, groups, and organizations to generate resources to revitalize and conserve the streets that bear the honorable name of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

In our seven-year study of various MLK streets nationwide we found these streets to be crime-ridden, poverty stricken places where non blacks seldom travel. They typically lack any sustainable economic vitality. This is not fitting for a man who gave his life to uplifting humanity. It’s time for St. Louis and the nation to change the stigma that has been placed on these streets. We have money for Nike, Ralph Lauren, and baseball stadiums but little money for communities that surround streets that bear the MLK name.

As a child in the 1960’s, when MLK was named Easton, it was bustling with businesses, diversity, and jobs. It was a place where you would feel safe to take your kids to a movie on Saturday. JC Penney, Woolworths, and many mom and pop stores thrived. In 1972, as the street was declining, the name was changed to Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Drive.

Fast forward to 2016. Now, there is nothing but vacant lots, abandoned buildings, and little economic vitality. We all have to ask ourselves: is this any way to honor Dr. King? Not only in St. Louis but this is mimicked on many of the 900 streets across America, Senegal, Israel, Zambia, France, and Australia named after Dr. King. Almost all are in predominantly African American communities.

It is hard to evaluate the truth in negative stereotypes, though one report suggests that residents of neighborhoods with MLK streets are $6,000 poorer than those without. It’s ironic that we have attached the name of the most famous civil rights leaders of our time to streets that speak to the pressing need to continue the progress of the civil rights movement.

The city has spent money on highways and tourist attractions that transfer wealth to the rich, demolishing African American neighborhoods in the process. The suburb of Ladue is 94% white with a median house hold income of $177,000. Seven miles away on MLK drive the community is 94% black, with a median income of only $22,500.

Beloved Streets of America is leading a very important National MLK Street Initiative. This calls for St. Louis to be a model for the nation to show what a MLK street should be by bringing jobs back, introducing the area to urban agriculture, solar energy, and black culture and history. The goal is to get rid of the negative stigma that has been placed on communities bearing Martin Luther King’s name.

We will start here in St. Louis and go from city to city redeveloping neighborhoods across the country surrounding MLK streets. We need everyone across the nation to contribute by donating resources to fix this problem and give Dr. King’s legacy the respect it deserves. Support the Beloved Streets of America and the National MLK Street Initiative.

Articles in “From the Field” represent the opinions of the author only and do not represent the views of the Community Builders Network of Metro St. Louis or the University of Missouri- St. Louis.

It’s About Good Governance

By Chris Krehmeyer, President/CEO, Beyond Housing

Can we please press the pause button on the rush to dismantle municipalities in the County?  Pause does not mean change should not occur.  It does not mean past practices of some municipalities are acceptable.  It does not mean consolidations or mergers will never occur.  Pause implies: can we have a thoughtful, rational conversation about what we are trying to achieve and how do we get there?  Can local communities drive this conversation, not Jefferson City or the County Executive’s office?  The state and county are clearly partners in this conversation but they should not be the drivers.

Discriminatory practices for decades by white leadership in the region segregated the African American community and harmed the long-term strength and vitality of many neighborhoods and municipalities, especially in North County.  Now, do we want to abdicate leadership for needed change to outsiders who do not know, care, or relate to these communities?  These communities are predominantly African American and have predominantly African American elected leadership.  We as a region should not walk away from local elected representatives without hearing the community’s perspective and desires for their governments.

Over the last five years, well before the explosion of Ferguson, in partnership with Beyond Housing, a place-based community development organization, the mayors of the 24 municipalities of the Normandy Schools Collaborative have been working together to provide the most efficient and effective government to residents and tax payers .  Here are a few highlights:

• In 2013, Cool Valley made the decision to dissolve their police department and contract services with another 24:1 municipality—Normandy. As a result, Cool Valley saved roughly $200,000 annually, while also providing better quality services for its residents. Normandy also provides policing services for Bellerive Acres, Greendale and Glen Echo Park.

• In 2015 both Charlack and Wellston decided to dissolve their police departments and contract with the newly formed North County Police Cooperative run by Vinita Park. Vinita Park also provides policing for Vinita Terrace. Total savings for Charlack, Vinita Terrace and Wellston for one year is nearly $1 million. The Co-op focuses on customized community policing and is currently pursuing its national CALEA accreditation.

• In 2015, in partnership with the Normandy Schools Collaborative, 24:1 mayors received a two-year $750,000 grant from the U.S. Department of Justice to place a Community Resource Police Officer in every Normandy school building.

• The City of Pine Lawn led a successful bidding effort to find a more efficient and cost effective way to provide trash services, resulting in savings of over $70,000 a year for participating cities. In addition to hard savings, the cities designed a model contract based on the best services and terms, which included benefits such as a 10% senior discount, calendars, free containers, weekly and quarterly reports and overall better service.

• Four municipalities are working with St. Louis County to collectively pool funds for demolition, street repair and other beneficial purposes. The municipalities are currently working on a collective bid on demolition and anticipate saving over $2,000 or 20% on each of the 51 homes to be demolished.

• Twelve municipalities are exploring the consolidation of a joint, 24:1 community court.

• 13 municipalities received almost $80,000 in tree inventory and maintenance grants from the Missouri Department of Conservation (MDC). In 2015, MDC awarded a $500,000 grant over 5 years to 24:1 Mayors and Beyond Housing to design a self-sustaining municipal services district, focused on strategic tree management but applicable to other types of municipal services, as well.

• 125 elected officials and key staff completed NIMS (National Incident Management Systems) training required by FEMA.

As these results show, the 24:1 municipalities are changing, improving, and evolving to meet the needs of residents and tax payers. This commitment to place-based, locally led work is building stronger communities.  The only narrative our region has heard is that these municipalities are incompetent, unneeded, and unfair.  That is not the whole story. Change is happening and, as these results show, if supported by the state and County, the 24:1 community will continue to evolve, improve and lead the way to what a new North County can look like.

Articles in “From the Field” represent the opinions of the author only and do not represent the views of the Community Builders Network of Metro St. Louis or the University of Missouri- St. Louis.

NGA West in North STL is environmentally just

By John Hickey

John Hickey is the Missouri Chapter Director for the Sierra Club, a grassroots environmental organization that works for a clean energy transition, public health, economic justice, and land preservation.

This op-ed originally appeared in the St. Louis American.

The Department of Defense is in the process of deciding where it should locate the next home of the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency (NGA) West headquarters, currently located just south of downtown St. Louis. For a number of reasons, the NGA should be located in North St. Louis, near the site of the old Pruitt-Igoe housing complex.

The North St. Louis site is better for the NGA’s stated goal of being more open in its operations and more connected with the public. It is closer to the airport and existing NGA West facilities. It also is the only location on the list of four (North St. Louis, Fenton, Mehlville and near Scott Air Force Base near Shiloh, Illinois) that meets the guidelines of presidential Executive Order 12072, which requires the federal government give priority to urban areas when it moves federal facilities.

As the nation’s largest grassroots environmental organization, we see two other, critical reasons why North St. Louis is the best location for the NGA: environmental protection and environmental justice.

There is a major difference in terms of environmental impact between redeveloping an urban area like North St. Louis – which would include cleaning up existing hazardous contamination – and building a new facility from the ground up on a 180-acre plot of green space and farmland, as would be required at Scott Air Force Base.

The plan for the North St. Louis site includes a clean, reliable energy network through upgraded “smart” infrastructure, distributed power generation and on-site renewables as well as the cleanup of existing hazardous contamination and the installation of large swaths of new green space. The Scott AFB location includes the displacement of a two-acre forested wetland.

Furthermore, building in North St. Louis would not add significantly to the commute times of current NGA employees, who already commute to the city, whereas locating NGA West at Scott AFB would require many employees – it is estimated that 70 percent of NGA West’s current workforce lives in Missouri – to add 60 or more minutes to their commute each day, adding significant amounts of auto exhaust and pollution into our region’s air.

Developing a project of this size in North St. Louis would also provide a perfect opportunity for our region to develop mass transit connecting North St. Louis to the rest of the region – a much cleaner option than expanding drive times across the river.

Placing NGA West at Scott Air Force Base would increase urban sprawl, whereas placing it in North St. Louis epitomizes the pro-environmental principle of smart growth, which we define as “intelligent, well-planned development that channels growth into existing areas, provides public transportation options, and preserves farm land and open space.”

Both science and common sense tell us that putting cars on the road for longer periods of time leads to more air pollution, which leads to higher rates of asthma, which are already elevated in the City of St. Louis. So locating NGA West across the river will not only take jobs and tax revenues out of the city, it could lead to an increase in health problems for our children.

The North St. Louis location also includes the development of new, infill housing, new trees, greenways, bike paths and other amenities that will help invigorate the surrounding community and connect the site to other areas in the city. This type of smart development exemplifies environmental justice: cleaner, greener neighborhoods, new jobs, and investments in the economy. The Scott AFB site, on the other hand, is isolated and connected to few, if any, other community amenities. Most NGA employees will drive in and drive out, and lower-income communities and communities of color will not benefit.

If we are going to commit ourselves to meeting the goals of environmental justice, smart growth and equitable development, then there is only one obvious choice as the next home of NGA West: North St. Louis.

Articles in “From the Field” represent the opinions of the author only and do not represent the views of the Community Builders Network of Metro St. Louis or the University of Missouri- St. Louis.

Energy-Efficient Affordable Housing: An Opportunity We Must Not Miss

By Thomas Pickel

Thomas Pickel is the Executive Director of DeSales Community Housing Corporation and President of the Community Builders Network of Metro St. Louis.

A version of this op-ed originally appeared in the St. Louis Post-Dispatch.

In response to the possibility of Ameren’s energy efficiency programs shrieking to a halt, the St. Louis Post-Dispatch Editorial Board issued a rallying cry that now is the time for Missouri to “ramp up its efficiency programs—not shut them down.”

We agree. Missourians have a major opportunity to reap big benefits from energy efficiency. Families save on utility bills. Building owners increase the value of their properties. And business owners create new jobs.

Right now, it’s a missed opportunity.

The Clean Power Plan, a historic effort to reduce harmful carbon pollution produced by power plants, will give Missouri power companies double credit toward compliance with the Plan for energy efficiency investments that are made in low-income communities.  This would mean investments of millions of dollars to help revitalize our neighborhoods.

Ameren’s proposed energy efficiency programs—rejected by the Missouri Public Service Commission (PSC)—would invest $10.75 million via a cutting edge program to bring energy savings and increased comfort to low-income families living in apartments. That could catapult Missouri toward getting those double credits.

Fannie Mae knows that the cost of energy is a major challenge in making sure affordable housing remains sustainable for the families that need it. Across the country, energy costs are 37% higher per square foot in low-income rental apartments than in condos or co-ops, 41% higher than rented single-family homes and an astounding 76% higher than owner-occupied single-family homes.

The toll also goes beyond the wallet. The problems that cause a building to be energy inefficient — for example, poor air filtration or inadequate insulation — exacerbate chronic health conditions like asthma.  These health problems can lead to missed work and school and more visits to the hospital.

Ameren, the PSC, and other stakeholders must work to find a solution regarding recovery of program costs. More than 70% of the affordable multifamily buildings within Ameren Illinois and Ameren Missouri service territories are NOT engaging in current energy efficiency programs—despite the fact that affordable multifamily housing is aging and offers a huge opportunity for untapped energy savings and lower energy bills. As a result, multifamily housing ranks as the least energy efficient building type in the residential sector.

Improving the energy efficiency of affordable multifamily housing will help thousands of Missouri families who call affordable housing home – and it will go a long way in helping Missouri create a sustainable energy future.

A new multi-state partnership, Energy Efficiency for All (EEFA), released a Potential for Energy Savings report that clearly illustrates the impact of energy efficiency investments. According to the report, improving the energy efficiency of low-income housing will create significant economic impact in Missouri—a return on investment of $3.20 for every $1.00 made in energy efficiency improvements.

Savings like these have a real impact on real people—225,000 St. Louis families and seniors who call affordable housing home will see lower energy bills all while improving the value of affordable housing.

And it creates good jobs in a high-growth industry. In Missouri, the clean energy industry already employs 40,000 people—the majority of whom work in energy efficiency—at 4,400 businesses. In the next year alone, these firms expect to add 3,000 new jobs to their payrolls.

The state’s energy plan provides the framework to make this kind of change possible. Utilities and their regulators can strengthen the Missouri programs by using best practices that leaders in other states are putting in place. They can:

• Develop programs specifically targeted to multi-family low-income buildings.

• Structure incentives for whole-building savings.

• Support benchmarking, audits, and other assessments.

• Support a “one-stop-shop” where building owners can access integrated program services.

• Help building owners finance efficiency projects by tailoring incentives to fit with conventional purchase and refinancing loans, partnering with lenders active in the local market, and exploring on-bill payment arrangements.

Those who are most vulnerable to the financial and health toll of energy inefficiency have been left behind for too long. When it comes to energy efficiency, little steps can make a big impact. Low-income families need the investment that Ameren included in its most recent plan. Now is the time to take action.

Articles in “From the Field” represent the opinions of the author only and do not represent the views of the Community Builders Network of Metro St. Louis or the University of Missouri- St. Louis.

Fulfilling grand plans for riverside development

By Mark G. Schulte

Mark G. Schulte is a lawyer with Schulte Law Office LLC. He holds a degree in Urban Studies from Washington University and a Juris Doctor degree from St. Louis University School of Law. His efforts on the north riverside include his co-ownership of the Cottenbelt building and his involvement with “Tent City” and Artica. In addition, his work with clients involves affordable housing and urban redevelopment. Schulte is a life-long St. Louisan and father of two children.

A version of this op-ed originally appeared in the St. Louis Post-Dispatch on November 24, 2015. To view the original op-ed, click here.

I am one of the owners of the Cottonbelt building, property that goes from the 50-yard line out through the end zone on the proposed new stadium.

My business partner Tim Tucker and I bought the Cottonbelt 15 years ago in a desire to create a new riverfront for our community. Later we acquired, by purchase and lease, surrounding land and buildings, a contiguous assemblage of 20 acres, the main footprint of the new stadium.

I learned from the announcements in the Post-Dispatch that Gov. Jay Nixon’s commissioners had decided to put their new stadium directly upon my property. For years I had lobbied the powers that be for a “Riverside” redevelopment. Perhaps now that time has come to us.

The governor’s plan will provide $1 billion of public and private investment, not only in the stadium but in the Riverside infrastructure around it. I have not heard of any realistic alternatives from the opponents to the stadium. I haven’t heard enough about accompanying more equitable community development efforts. We can do better, still.

I would love to have a new stadium. It would be payday for me and my family, after a decade and a half of investment, struggle and sacrifice. It would be a relief of a great burden. So, my opinion contains the strong taint of self-interest. I am not sure that is bad for the city.

I played and like football, but I am not a fan of modern sports business. And I resent the profitable and ruthless beggar-thy-neighbor bidding wars of city against city. It’s a rigged game, but that’s how the people’s stadiums are built, now. Game on, fourth quarter.

I have seen our city squander opportunities and piles of money before. I have seen grand good plans brought to ruin by carping and litigious delay. Our city is renowned for the Arch, the Cardinals, Pruitt-Igoe, and now Ferguson.

I believe that our Arch is among the most splendid public monuments. It expresses the soaring aspirations of an optimistic people. It was the result of decades of patient commitment and plodding effort. It was the united common work of our community. Do we, the grandchildren of that generation that built the Arch, have what it takes to create something as splendid? Or will we devolve into discord and carping, offering opposition and opinion, but no alternative, no real commitment or serious contribution?

I hope that when we build PSL seats and luxury boxes on what was once tent city for the homeless, that some small sliver of each of those ticket receipts reappears as affordable housing. I hope that certain stadium jobs could be reserved for those folks emerging from the Honor Center prison that lurks nearby. I hope that when we tear down the LEED Platinum 21 O’Fallon, that the dust falls upon the entire stadium landscape as solar panels and green technology. I hope we honor the first people who lived there. We walk among those ghosts. Soon we join them.

Finally, if and when my Cottonbelt building is demolished, with its acre-sized mural overlooking the river, I hope that art by our local artists is commissioned and exhibited all through the stadium and grounds.

Can we build a new Riverside, one that our grandchildren would admire?

Addendum

As this November article is being re-printed in the first days of 2016, the Rams, Chargers and Raiders petitioned to move to LA. Our champions responded that we anticipated this, and that we had made our pitch in advance to keep NFL football in St. Louis. I sat in the many hearings at the Ways and Means Committee and the full Board of Alderman as the financing bill was pushed through.

At the various hearings, I disclosed my personal interest, accepted that the final decision was above my pay-grade, and asked for two things in the Board Stadium funding bill: create a Plan B should the Stadium deal fail, (to forestall the decade of drift that might befall the Riverside); and to use this moment to help capitalize our region’s premier Community Development Finance Institution Great Rivers Community Capital. Great Rivers is wholly owned by Justine Petersen Housing and Reinvestment Corporation, the largest micro-credit lender in America. Nationally-renowned, under-appreciated locally, JP and GRCC have led and assisted their constituents to build credit, create assets, own homes, start businesses here and in the nearby communities. I had hoped to convince our leaders to leverage this billion-dollar stadium public investment into more wide-spread community development. I still work on this every day.

If I were King for a day, and owned two seats on the Board of Estimate and Apportionment, and could create a Plan B, I might prefer an aquarium, a Zoo-Museum district facility and parkland, a Cahokia Civilization center, a Festival Ground, with a catfish tournament starting THIS Spring. I wouldn’t wait another decade.

Articles in “From the Field” represent the opinions of the author only and do not represent the views of the Community Builders Network of Metro St. Louis or the University of Missouri- St. Louis.

It’s Time to Steal the Indy Cultural Trail

By Alex Ihnen

Alex is the owner and editor of nextSTL.com. He earned a B.A. in Journalism and Masters in Public Affairs at Indiana University and has studied in Adelaide, Australia and Perugia, Italy. Alex can be found on Twitter @alexihnen and reached at alex@nextstl.com.

A longer version of this op-ed, complete with images, is available on nextSTL.com. To see that version, click here.

In 2001 Indianapolis proposed that five central city neighborhoods be designated cultural districts. Taken together, they were home to nearly every significant arts, cultural, heritage, sports, and entertainment venue in the city. The problem? The neighborhoods were poorly connected and lacked an identity. The solution? The Indianapolis Cultural Trail.

Completed in 2012, the $63M 8-mile multi-use trail was funded by $27.5M in private and philanthropic support, and $35.5M from federal transportation grants. A recent studyhas found that since the project announcement and groundbreaking in 2007, property values within 500ft of the trail have increased by 148%, or more than $1 billion. The trail has increased revenue and traffic for businesses along the route. The average trail user spends $53 at local businesses. 95% of users feel safe using the trail.

The Cultural Trail has been a huge success. Beyond the numbers, it has helped to change the perception of Indianapolis as a city. The trail has put a new face on Indianapolis, encouraging human-scaled exploration of the city by locals and visitors alike. There’s new residential infill, private investment, and a greater awareness of the city’s cultural assets and urban neighborhoods. Planners from Cologne, Germany to Miami, Florida have traveled to Indianapolis to study this success. St. Louis should do this.

St. Louis has nothing like the Cultural Trail. We have the Great Rivers Greenway (GRG) system, the nearest example, but it clearly falls short. The greenways explicitly aim for a different mission – connecting the region with recreational paths, largely using old rail right-of-way, or unused land. What is the return on investment of the Centennial Greenway along I-170? Not a lot. It’s an effective low-cost strategy to build a lot of miles of paths. But a bigger opportunity is being missed.

Here’s what’s missing: the investment in St. Louis is being spent in out-of-the-way places, next to Interstate highways, along old rail lines in residential areas, on side streets and empty land on the edges of successful development, and not as a part of it, in the middle of it, where people want to go. We’re not capitalizing on our investment.

Here’s where the St. Louis Cultural Trail should go: connect the Old Courthouse/Arch, City Garden, Central Library, Grand Center/SLU, Central West End/Cortex/medical campus/Forest Park with off-shoots to Old North, Soulard, and Missouri Botanical Garden. Eight miles of on-street infrastructure connects them all.

The key is building the trail where it will be used, where it will catalyze development and where it can augment the built environment and existing investment. This is more expensive and more difficult than greenways under power lines next to an Interstate, but it also has an exponentially greater impact.

These paths, investment in bicycle and pedestrian infrastructure, work best when they act a part of a city’s transportation network, as connective tissue, when they directly address difficult connections. They’re best when not simply a place to walk or ride, but when used to go somewhere, and when, as often as practicable, the path is also a place.

St. Louis has museums, parks, and cultural assets that should make Indianapolis (and Atlanta, and maybe Chicago) blush. The city’s historic neighborhoods are as rich, beautiful, and diverse as any American city, but they’re not connected. Current strategy and plans for bicycle and pedestrian paths won’t address this shortcoming. We need to stop doing what’s easy, and start doing what’s effective.

A St. Louis Cultural trail would not only benefit its immediate environs, it could anchor and give impetus to more basic, affordable, and widespread infrastructure. By planning protected bike lanes, sidewalk replacement, and bike routes to connect with the trail, the network could be effectively prioritized, phased and constructed. The result would be a system much greater than the sum of its parts.

The existing 110-miles of greenways from Dardenne Prairie (37 miles west of the Arch) to the North Riverfront Trail are a great asset to the region. The planned 600-mile network is an important investment, but no organization is yet focused on leveraging what’s best about St. Louis into something greater, on connecting the dots. We are currently doing less with more. It’s time to steal Indy’s Cultural Trail.

Articles in “From the Field” represent the opinions of the author only and do not represent the views of the Community Builders Network of Metro St. Louis or the University of Missouri- St. Louis.

Why child development accounts are smart

By Jason Q. Purnell and Michael Sherraden

Jason Q. Purnell leads the For The Sake of All project and is an Assistant Professor at the George Warren Brown School of Social Work.  Michael  Sherraden is a Distinguished University Professor at the George Warren Brown School of Social Work and is the founding director of the Center for Social Development at Washington University. 

This op-ed originally appeared in the St. Louis Post-Dispatch on September 15. To view the original post, click here. 

How can all children see a future? The Ferguson Commission recommends child development accounts.

Child development accounts are nest eggs, or investment accounts, for long-term goals like postsecondary education. CDAs are progressive, “seeded” with an initial deposit of $50 to $500, and put in extra for the poorest children. The accounts are universal. Every child is included. Children, parents and others can contribute.

There are many benefits. With interest and new savings, these accounts grow over time. Companies and governments can set up savings matches and other incentives. For children and their families, the accounts are learning opportunities. All participants have a stake in good financial management.
In communities near Ferguson, CDAs are taking root. Next door, the 24:1 Initiative — organized by Beyond Housing in partnership with 21 small municipalities and the Normandy School District — has opened a Promise Account for every child entering public school kindergarten. In the city of St. Louis, the treasurer’s office recently announced College Kids, a program that will deposit $50 in the accounts of all public school kindergarten children, funded in part with revenue from parking meters.

Farther away, in the states of Maine, Nevada and Connecticut, thousands of children have child development accounts. The first universal, statewide program in the nation, the Harold Alfond College Challenge in Maine, automatically deposits $500 for every newborn. To date, 40,000 Maine children have received an account. In Nevada, the College Kick Start program opened accounts with $50 for about 70,000 public school kindergarten students. Last year, Connecticut enacted legislation offering an initial deposit in CDAs for resident children.

Do these initiatives work? In the SEED for Oklahoma Kids experiment, the Center for Social Development at Washington University in St. Louis created a rigorous test of universal child development accounts to find. In SEED OK, children were randomly assigned to receive an account or not.

Findings reveal positive outcomes. For example, having a CDA with assets improves mothers’ mental health, raises mothers’ educational expectations for their children, and even boosts child development.

Interestingly, in the early years, the amount of savings is not the most important factor. Instead, having an account with assets seems to change parents’ outlook and behavior. As one mother told us when her child was about 2 years old, the SEED OK account “gives me a sense of security, a little bit of relief that something has begun, you know, and hopefully very soon I’ll be able to add to that.”

As Maine and other states have demonstrated, child development accounts can be set up as 529 college savings plans, taking advantage of already built financial infrastructure that was designed to help families save for postsecondary education. This is infrastructure, like an interstate highway, only not everyone is as yet driving toward the future with a 529 plan.

All children, not just the advantaged, can be on the road to college. Child development accounts provide an initial, automatic deposit (with an opportunity to “opt out”). Savings incentives can encourage and reward individual deposits.

The plans also have growth potential. Since deposits in child development accounts begin early, there are many years to take advantage of market gains. For example, between 2008 and 2014, Maine’s plan yielded a 25 percent gain, despite market declines in 2008-09.

By creating and expanding child development account programs, Ferguson can join other communities and states around the nation that recognize that investing in the future of our youngest citizens has the potential for large social and economic payoffs.

These initiatives work. Child development accounts help build stable families and communities, where every resident, including the very poorest and the very youngest, and completely regardless of race or ethnicity, has a stake in the future.

Articles in “From the Field” represent the opinions of the author only and do not represent the views of the Community Builders Network of Metro St. Louis or the University of Missouri- St. Louis.

The Leslie Knope Guide for New Mayors

By Kim S. Graziani

Kim Graziani serves as Vice President and Director of National Technical Assistance for the Center for Community Progress where she oversees, coordinates and helps deliver a diverse range of technical assistance and capacity building services to communities across the country.

“What I hear when I’m being yelled at is people caring really loudly at me.” – Leslie Knope (Amy Poehler), Parks and Recreation

Trust us, residents care REALLY LOUDLY about vacant and abandoned properties…including big, empty pits that could be the next greatest park in places such as fictional Pawnee, Indiana.

You’ve won the election. You are ready to make change. You can learn from all of those before you (think Shakespeare’s “What’s Past is Prologue”). This is your time to hone in on your vision, your priorities, and your plan for hitting the ground running once you take office. Why not start with those properties that are causing significant harm to your soon-to-be constituents?

Vacant and abandoned properties hurt communities—with studies pointing to negative impacts on everything from crime, to property values, to neighbors’ physical health. Consider making this one of your key issues and priorities and, in return, all of us here at the Center for Community Progress will stand behind you.

Better yet, allow Leslie Knope/Kim Graziani to share a few lessons learned from those across the country who are at the front lines of fighting blight.

1. Address the elephant in the room: Racial and class injustices are at the heart of vacancy, abandonment, and disinvestment. Bad decisions have been made and are still being made that hurt people, divide communities, and destroy wealth-building opportunities for past and future generations alike. Be the “elephant healer” and create a safe space for people to address these wrongdoings and move forward together.

2. Make your case: Why should constituents care about vacant and abandoned properties? Listen and capture stories from residents, collect data that can quantify the numbers and economic impact on housing markets, tax base, public safety, and overall well-being. Using stories and data, make this issue everyone’s issue.

3. Embrace public discourse: Bring those who disagree with you to the table. Maybe even break some bread with them! Be an active listener and set yourself apart from those who talk “at” you instead of “with” you.

4. Tear down the silos: Navigating city departments and systems might be downright boring—but no less essential for enabling meaningful change. How can your city be more effective at preventing properties from becoming vacant and abandoned? When was the last time your data people sat with your tax collectors, code enforcement officers, and/or housing developers to discuss how to prioritize and work together to address those properties that are causing the most harm to a community?

5. Cultivate a team of do-ers: Actions (and funding) speak louder than words.  Build a team that is willing to eat, sleep, and breathe all things vacancy and abandonment. There are always going to be a million fires to put out in your community, but encouragingfolks to focus on this issue will result in better outcomes. Also, realize that everything cannot and should not be done in city hall – partner, partner, and partner some more. (Consider this formula when deciding what key players to have on your team: visionary + convener + task master + critic = change.)

6. Failing is not an option: It’s a reality. Don’t be afraid to pilot some ideas and go back to the drawing board to tweak as you see fit. Ask residents whether they think it is working and how they think it can be improved.

7. Consider this your new mantra: EVERY NEIGHBORHOOD DESERVES INVESTMENT. It’s not about saying no; it’s about having honest discussion about what type of investment will make the most impact. Targeting is essential and is prudent to address varying market conditions and community realities.

8. Embrace patience, kindness, and authenticity: Remember it’s not always about the destination but more about the journey. Vacancy and abandonment did not happen overnight and therefore will not be solved overnight. Blight is certainly not something to laugh at, but laughter will certainly be needed along the way. The challenge is complex and hard but deserves your focus.

“We need to remember what’s important in life: friends, waffles, work. Or waffles, friends, work. Doesn’t matter but work is third.” – Leslie Knope, Parks and Recreation

If all else fails, surround yourself with lots of friends and waffles—and consider all of us here at the Center for Community Progress to be your friends who are glad to be on this journey with you (and also happen to like waffles).

Articles in “From the Field” represent the opinions of the author only and do not represent the views of the Community Builders Network of Metro St. Louis or the University of Missouri- St. Louis.