Pathway for Acceptance and Belonging
The "Voices & Visions of St. Louis: Past, Present, Future" conference, hosted by the Harvard Graduate School of Design (GSD) from March 30 to April 1, 2016, aims to spark a nationwide conversation on urban planning and racial equity. The event, presented in partnership with the Mellon-funded Divided City Initiative at Washington University in St. Louis, brings together planners, scholars, and other professionals from various disciplines to share lessons and ideas over time.
The conference delves into the historical urban policies that have contributed to systemic segregation and economic marginalization of African-American communities in St. Louis. Policies such as redlining, highway construction, and zoning laws are often under scrutiny, as they have played a significant role in shaping the city's racial landscape.
Urban renewal projects, which displaced Black neighborhoods and limited economic opportunities, are another focus of the conference. The Pruitt-Igoe housing project, a notable example, was built according to the superblocks approach to planning but was demolished less than two decades after its construction due to numerous problems, including the lack of first-floor bathrooms, dysfunctional elevators, and insufficient maintenance.
The conference also sheds light on the role of design and planning practitioners in perpetuating or challenging racial inequities. It advocates for more inclusive and participatory planning processes, engaging people more in determining the fate of the places they live in as part of the solution to racial and spatial exclusion.
The intersection of race, policy, and spatial justice is another crucial aspect of the conference, as it explores strategies for reparative urban design and community-led revitalization efforts. The aftermath of Pruitt-Igoe serves as a cautionary tale, with surrounding towns in St. Louis County passing zoning laws preventing high-rise construction to keep African-Americans out of the community.
The conference extends its discussion into the 20th century and beyond, examining the impact of federal and state policies on urban development. For instance, the federal and state governments agreed to demolish the Pruitt-Igoe development between 1972 and 1976.
On the second day of the conference, Thursday afternoon, attendees will start discussing solutions to make St. Louis a more just, equitable, and livable city. They will explore strategies to address issues like the lack of tax base in certain towns, leading to police generating revenue through traffic tickets, as seen in towns like Ferguson.
The conference's first Thursday morning panel will discuss the creation of Missouri and its role in the lead-up to the Civil War. Atyia Martin, Boston's chief resilience officer, will deliver an address on Friday, followed by a showcase of GSD student work focused on equity, race, and social justice.
The "Voices & Visions of St. Louis: Past, Present, Future" conference is a significant step towards fostering a deeper understanding of the complex relationship between urban planning, design, and racial equity, with the aim of informing 21st-century planners and designers on what they can do to address these issues.
- The conference emphasizes the need for inclusive and participatory urban planning processes, especially in the context of education-and-self-development, encouraging planners to participate in collective problem-solving to prevent racial and spatial exclusion.
- The conference further highlights the importance of understanding historical urban policies and the impact they have on communities, with urban planning education playing a crucial role in uncovering strategies for reparative design and community-led revitalization.
