St. Louis Plans will present a novel exploration of the St. Louis region, one that considers the blueprints for the urban area as it exists today. The book will take the angle of Harlan Bartholomew, who said that “the objective of a city plan is the improvement of living conditions, the stimulation of prosperity, and the creation of intangible values in added health, comfort, convenience, and community well-being.” Therefore, the book will illustrate the ways that future plans can provide a path to those “intangible values.”

            Planning typically refers to that which occurs at the governmental level. This book will explore the various angles from which St. Louis plans have arisen, from the regional, municipal, and neighborhood levels, and in specific sectors including education, health care, and workforce development. As the face of government shifts toward regional cooperation, the outline of our past will be particularly relevant. Timely issues that the twelve authors of the book’s essays will explore include emergency preparedness, planning and leadership at the neighborhood level, transportation, and health care.