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"It is necessary to create a new environment. This can be accomplished only by large scale operations. Obsolete neighborhoods must be rebuilt, not merely with houses of good design and construction, but with more open space, more park and playground facilities, a good school and community center."
"As construction costs become lower the city must be in a position to encourage wholesale reconstruction of these obsolete areas."
St. Louis Comprehensive City Plan 1947
I almost collapsed when I read these statements from St. Louis' Comprehensive City Plan, it basically called for the wholesale destruction of some of the City's most historic neighborhoods. Can you image what would have been lost if this plan had been followed?
In reference to Soulard, the plan calls for "the complete reconstruction of the neighborhood into super residential blocks with a new street pattern to serve these blocks and to discourage through traffic. "
What??? WHAT!?!?!?!?! Holy fuck! Soulard as we know it would be gone! The beautiful, red brick structures we're all familiar with would have been wiped off the face of the earth and replaced by apartment buildings and parks, as you can see here. Granted, Soulard was is in a lot better shape today that it was in the middle of last century, but still...I can find no mention of saving historic buildings. It's slash and burn all the way.
The scary thing is that this kind of thinking still prevails in the minds of many. I'm all for re-development of an area, and I don't think saving one or two buildings is worth the health of an entire neighborhood, but there is SO much more that can be done to revitalize historic and deteriorating neighborhoods without clearing everything out and starting over! I know nothing about urban planning so I may be talking out of my ass, but it seems to me that neighborhoods all over the City prove this point. Historic buildings are a part of the City's story and they should be saved whenever possible.
If you'd like to read the plan in its entirety, you can access it via the web here. To think about would could have been lost...it's heart stopping, and yet we have so much more to do to save our city.
"As construction costs become lower the city must be in a position to encourage wholesale reconstruction of these obsolete areas."
St. Louis Comprehensive City Plan 1947
I almost collapsed when I read these statements from St. Louis' Comprehensive City Plan, it basically called for the wholesale destruction of some of the City's most historic neighborhoods. Can you image what would have been lost if this plan had been followed?
In reference to Soulard, the plan calls for "the complete reconstruction of the neighborhood into super residential blocks with a new street pattern to serve these blocks and to discourage through traffic. "
What??? WHAT!?!?!?!?! Holy fuck! Soulard as we know it would be gone! The beautiful, red brick structures we're all familiar with would have been wiped off the face of the earth and replaced by apartment buildings and parks, as you can see here. Granted, Soulard was is in a lot better shape today that it was in the middle of last century, but still...I can find no mention of saving historic buildings. It's slash and burn all the way.
The scary thing is that this kind of thinking still prevails in the minds of many. I'm all for re-development of an area, and I don't think saving one or two buildings is worth the health of an entire neighborhood, but there is SO much more that can be done to revitalize historic and deteriorating neighborhoods without clearing everything out and starting over! I know nothing about urban planning so I may be talking out of my ass, but it seems to me that neighborhoods all over the City prove this point. Historic buildings are a part of the City's story and they should be saved whenever possible.
If you'd like to read the plan in its entirety, you can access it via the web here. To think about would could have been lost...it's heart stopping, and yet we have so much more to do to save our city.
1 comments:
By
Urban Review, at
5:28 PM
The really scary part is that many think this way. Our zoing is from this era as well. The clear cut method of improving a city is still alive and well in St. Louis --- look at McRee town.