The Gate District Master Plan proposed the redevelopment of a devastated residential district on the south side of St. Louis. The community had been tranquil, racially integrated, and middle class until a superhighway cut through its center. The result was vastly decreased property values and small groups of houses sitting amidst large blocks of vacant land.

The Gate District Master Plan drew upon the principles of Traditional Neighborhood Design and the efforts of the remaining citizens in the area. The plan identified five distinct residential neighborhoods whose boundaries were determined by existing socio-political organizations and by walking distances. A system of traditional urban parks linked the neighborhoods and contributed a sense of place and strong market identity.

While the plan proposed infill building with modest houses of the type already found on the site, it remained flexible to encourage a variety of uses, scales, densities, and economic and social classes. The Urban Code developed by DPZ assured that all new development would share the site planning values of the existing neighborhood, and the Architectural Code regulated the form, texture, and character of all new developments.

The Gate District Master Plan was completed as a joint venture with the Lawrence Group for the Community Development Agency of the City of St. Louis. The plan was partially implemented.

project tearsheet: 594 Kb PDF file