2008 Woodie Awards
The Whole City in Our Hands
Matthew Lehner & Kate Kovarik
Issue date: 3/30/06 Section: Commentary
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St. Louis-the Gateway to the West, home to the 1904 World's Fair and a place where I am gradually rediscovering my ancestors' history. This is the city that my great-grandparents, grandparents and my mom have all grown up in. And now, I am gradually discovering what makes this city great. Each day I am continually amazed at the potential this place has.
When I look back at what St. Louis was, I am amazed. When I look at it now, I see what is hidden and lost to urban decay. But I also see the grand potential that is showing again and what is within reach. I have been stunned and saddened by the ignorant comments that people make about St. Louis and the lack of faith they display in the city. People don't recognize what St. Louis has gone through and the renewal that is happening now.
What many don't understand is that what has happened to St. Louis, urban decay, happened to numerous industrial cities throughout the United States: Chicago, Detroit, Cincinnati, Washington, D.C., Baltimore and Philadelphia. For St. Louis, the end of World War II brought hard times. The middle class moved to the suburbs with dreams of big yards, newer, larger homes (square footage for new homes has risen 57 percent since 1970), cars (notice the plural) and easy travel along the new interstates. And with people leaving the city, they also took their tax dollars, buying power and the spirit that made St. Louis unique. St. Louis lost a huge portion of its tax base; companies lost business, closed up and became infatuated with the suburbs because of the low cost of land. To make matters worse, suburbs adjacent to the city had no interest in being incorporated and annexed into the city.
Downtown became a ghost town. People thought that one big project, like the TWA Dome (now Edward Jones), could bring the area back. With misplaced faith in new, large projects, some of St. Louis' finest architecture disappeared. The City of St. Louis has amazing architecture-downtown, the Central West End, South City and Midtown all are testaments to this. Unfortunately, so much of the city's architectural heritage and beauty were lost to the over-zealous desire for more parking.
When I look back at what St. Louis was, I am amazed. When I look at it now, I see what is hidden and lost to urban decay. But I also see the grand potential that is showing again and what is within reach. I have been stunned and saddened by the ignorant comments that people make about St. Louis and the lack of faith they display in the city. People don't recognize what St. Louis has gone through and the renewal that is happening now.
What many don't understand is that what has happened to St. Louis, urban decay, happened to numerous industrial cities throughout the United States: Chicago, Detroit, Cincinnati, Washington, D.C., Baltimore and Philadelphia. For St. Louis, the end of World War II brought hard times. The middle class moved to the suburbs with dreams of big yards, newer, larger homes (square footage for new homes has risen 57 percent since 1970), cars (notice the plural) and easy travel along the new interstates. And with people leaving the city, they also took their tax dollars, buying power and the spirit that made St. Louis unique. St. Louis lost a huge portion of its tax base; companies lost business, closed up and became infatuated with the suburbs because of the low cost of land. To make matters worse, suburbs adjacent to the city had no interest in being incorporated and annexed into the city.
Downtown became a ghost town. People thought that one big project, like the TWA Dome (now Edward Jones), could bring the area back. With misplaced faith in new, large projects, some of St. Louis' finest architecture disappeared. The City of St. Louis has amazing architecture-downtown, the Central West End, South City and Midtown all are testaments to this. Unfortunately, so much of the city's architectural heritage and beauty were lost to the over-zealous desire for more parking.