To inspire those involved in neighborhood planning in St. Louis and beyond to choose a resident-led approach, leading to higher chances of creating a more dignifying legacy with their planning efforts, and a more equitable state of community development than we have experienced thus far.

For generations, the tradition of neighborhood planning and development has been one that often intentionally or unintentionally directed harm towards existing communities of Black people and other people of color and people with fewer economic means. 

Often this kind of traditional planning is done in the name of progress, frequently led by people and institutions with little stake in the neighborhoods that they are planning for; inevitably cultivating understandable mistrust, skepticism, and at times disengagement in community processes from residents.

Being truly resident led is to plan with and learn from residents, and while there are few resources and literature that illuminate how to do this, The Resident-Led Neighborhood Planning Powerbook is Invest STL and residents of the West End and Visitation Park’s offering to neighborhood leaders, the national planning and community development field, and funders on how to approach planning with residents in an equitable and resident-first manner. 

Our goal with sharing the collaborators’ and partners’ learnings from this process is to support those who may be seeking resources to develop or optimize neighborhood planning processes in their own ecosystems.

ACCESS ONLINE