THE WECOLLAB PLANNING HISTORY & PROCESS
Watch WEVP residents talk about Neighborhood transition and stabilzation from the 1950s to present day.
The West End & Visitation Park
The West End and Visitation Park Neighborhoods (WE/VP) are situated at the westernmost edge of St. Louis City. The north boundary is defined by Page Blvd, with Union Blvd to the east, and Skinker Blvd/Pkwy to the west.
To the south, they are bordered by Delmar Blvd, which has been perceived as a division of the city’s wealth, races, and importance for decades. Before 1950, the West End and Visitation Park contained a predominantly white, middle- to upper-class population. Home values were competitive for white families, while housing covenants and federal redlining prohibited sales to Black families, and segregation limited their mobility into the neighborhood.
After the 1948 Supreme Court ruling that private racial covenants could not be enforced by the state, Black families had new options for where to live. The West End and Visitation Parks location, housing quality, and variety of amenities made it an attractive place and Black families sought residence in the neighborhood. This prompted whites to flee in record numbers, regardless of the sale price they might have been able to get. As white families fled the neighborhood, governments no longer prioritized it for resources or improvement. Redlining, banking malpractice, and unfair appraisals worked to decrease home values for incoming Black families.
Racial Equity Inspires
Resident-Led
With this history of racist real estate practices and a recent increase of development interest in the neighborhood again, residents started taking things into their own hands to preserve and improve the neighborhood they were left with. In recent decades, several neighborhood leaders (i.e., neighborhood associations, public officials, etc.) have been engaged by residents in a series of meetings to discuss the need for neighborhood planning. Residents wanted to ensure that any and all development activities are guided by a common, shared vision of current residents and local stakeholders. Many believed that West End/Visitation Park (WE/VP) was primed and ready to initiate a planning process.
In 2017, a group of Black women who live in the West End responded to a funding opportunity we offered which came with a pre-selected planning partner. The local Community Development Corporation (CDC), Cornerstone Corporation, agreed to serve as the convener for the planning process, providing the backbone support needed to move the process forward. Together, they mobilized the support they had been building months and years prior.
These key neighborhood stakeholders included elected officials; the three neighborhood associations serving residents within the boundaries of WE/VP; and public and private entities (e.g., Bi-State Development, Delmar Divine, Great Rivers Greenway, St. Louis ArtWorks, and the St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department to name a few). The West End & Visitation Park applicants were awarded funding, and the planning process began.
The residents and Cornerstone Corporation recruited a Steering Committee of about 15 members through an application process to guide the work. The residents who initially pursued the Invest STL funding – all residents of the West End – served as advisors to the committee.
The residents and former Cornerstone Corporation Executive Director at one of their first meetings to apply for the Invest STL grant offered in 2017. From left to right, Treena Thompson, Keaira Anderson, Tonnie Glispie-Smith, and Lisa Potts.
About a year in, the conversation of gentrification emerged as a key motivation for writing this plan. “When folks say gentrification, they really mean race or racism” said Treena Thompson, Steering Committee Advisor, Cornerstone CDC Board Member, and Resident of the West End. Residents did not want to be displaced or make decisions that would displace other residents with this process. Their reason for a neighborhood plan was much deeper than increasing commercial markets and filling vacant land. There was an emphasis on centering racial equity in the plan to address past harms and preserve the community for existing residents while responding to new market pressures and welcoming new residents.
We offered Racial Equity education through one of the residents’ consulting practices called RELE (Racial Equity Learning Exchange) Sessions at the Steering Committee’s request. This discovery process seeded practices and beliefs that residents expected the plan to uphold. As these ideas started to form, COVID-19 emerged and an unintended pause slowed everyone down enough to sit back and reflect on the work they had done.
Residents reviewed successes and challenges to the process so far and determined improvements. They observed discomfort with the lack of their voice and desires being clearly expressed in the direction the plan was going. As the Steering Committee dug deeper and surveyed residents and leaders, it became evident that if they were going to pursue racial equity in the way they imagined, they would need the proper support. The Steering Committee decided to select a new planning partner who could identify with their vision and support its execution in the neighborhood plan.
The executive committee made up of resident co-chairs wrote a Request for Proposals (RFP) to find a new planning partner, guided by Invest STL and Cornerstone CDC. We researched and collaboratively developed Characteristics of Equitable Planning as a rubric for their selection, and the residents independently facilitated the public-facing planning partner selection and deliberation process.
The process with the new planning partner started in 2021. They held a Public Kick-off and released a collaboratively written Summary of Understanding (SOU) about where the group had been and where they wanted to go. The SOU includes the influences of racial equity on the planning process: resident-led planning and decision making, valuing diversity and inclusion, supporting the growth of minority businesses, avoiding displacement, and social/emotional healing. You can read more about the history of the planning process and how it upholds racial equity in the URL Summary of Understanding preceding the plan. The residents decided to call this revamped effort the “weCollab Plan” and it has been adopted as such by St. Louis City. View the adopted plan: Adopted Plan
We celebrate, honor, and continue to learn from this neighborhood and plan in the creation of this power book. We want to acknowledge all the consultants and stakeholders who contributed energy to this process. Namely, the neighbors of the West End and Visitation Park, Emerging Wisdom, Whitney Benns, and the Black Healers Collective for conflict resolution and community building, YARD & Company as the lead planning partner; their subconsultants Vector Communications, BlackArc, Action STL, &Access, The Lochmueller Group; planning lead Rise Development; Missouri Foundation for Health and the countless neighborhood organizations and venues that hosted us throughout the process.
ROLES IN THE WECOLLAB
PLANNING PROCESS
RESIDENTS
Residents from every quadrant of the neighborhood who applied and were selected to work with the planning team to carry out and deliver a comprehensive neighborhood reinvestment plan. They reported to the Executive Committee and received consultation from the advisors.
STEERING COMMITTEE
Residents from every quadrant of the neighborhood who applied and were selected to work with the planning team to carry out and deliver a comprehensive neighborhood reinvestment plan. They reported to the Executive Committee and were received consultation from the advisors.
ADMINISTRATIVE PARTNER & ADVISOR
This role was held by the Neighborhood-based Anchor Organization of Cornerstone Corporation poised to pursue funding and provide staff to the weCollab effort. Initially a faith-based affordable housing ministry, they rose to the occasion of supporting a resident-led planning effort by updating their board members and aligning their mission and vision with what they were hearing residents needed in their neighborhood.
TECHNICAL COMMITTEE
This group worked closely with the planning consultants to review and shape technical recommendations in the plan. These recommendations included adjustments to zoning, land use, and city service coordination. Their partnership ensured the plan met adoption requirements at the city level and that the team had the relevant data they needed. Plan recommendations were more feasible because they were reviewed and assessed by the technical committee along the way. The committee was composed of staff from the City of St. Louis Planning & Urban Design Agency, various City Departments, Environmental and mobility experts, and the local public transportation authority.
EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE
Residents who managed the planning team, the governance of the Steering Committee, and served as the authorizing body for the process, holding final decision making authority for critical decisions. They were accountable to the Steering Committee.
CONSULTANTS
Yard & Company was hired and assembled a team of local and national subconsultants in different areas of expertise. There was a consultant for design and branding, engagement, retail & entrepreneurship, mobility infrastructure, public relations, and institutional partnerships. They offered and implemented tactical approaches to engage residents and incorporate resident feedback into the plan. Yard oversaw this work and in collaboration with subconsultants and the Technical Committee researched options, designed strategies, synthesized engagement data and qualitative feedback, conducted feasibility studies, and ultimately produced the physical plan that was adopted by the city. They worked closely with the neighborhood ambassadors to understand the realities of neighborhood conditions and resident experiences.
FUNDER
Beyond dollars for consultants, Invest STL provided a flexible process that allowed residents to get to the nitty-gritty of what they wanted for their neighborhood. There was dedicated staff in the role of Neighborhood Solidarity Partner that walked with the residents through the planning process. When circumstances demanded it, we were able to provide resources mediation and coaching, community healing, racial equity training, alongside capacity-building funding for the administrative partner.
ADVISORS
Residents who ceded positions on the Steering Committee to allow more voices in the process. They served as unofficial members of the Steering Committee who had professional experience in grant writing, and neighborhood planning and development. They offered their expertise, connections, and network as a resource to the steering committee and offered support similar to consultants.
AMBASSADORS
Residents who were hired to work closely with the consultants and steering committee to design and deploy outreach and engagement strategies, communicating information to and from the entire neighborhood.
LOCAL GOVERNMENT
The City of St. Louis Planning & Urban Design Agency assigned dedicated staff to walk alongside the weCollab planning process from start to finish. Unlike a traditional planning process, since residents were guiding the process, the city offered oversight and ensured the recommendations set forth in the neighborhood plan would be feasible and meet city requirements.
WECOLLAB PROCESS TIMELINE
PRE-FUNDING PHASE
Dec 2017: Potential Funding Identified
We invited neighborhood groups to attend an information session about funds available to transform their neighborhood. Funding came with support from a planning partner and capacity building services. Of many West End and Visitation Park residents in attendance, 4 women found out they were close neighbors and connected after the meeting at one of their homes, thrilled and charged about the possibility of being funded to execute a neighborhood plan.
Jan 2018: Funding Application Submitted
Using the individual skill sets and networks of these 4 women, the application was completed with the support of numerous residents and key stakeholders. Cornerstone Corporation, in consultation and under the leadership of the residents, submitted the application on behalf of the West End and Visitation Park.Both neighborhoods were included because of the geographic impact existing organizations and initiatives already had.
Feb 2018: Funding Awarded
The Invest STL funding was awarded to two neighborhood clusters: The West End/Visitation Park (WE/VP) and Dutchtown. For the next ten months, the planning partner worked with Cornerstone to strengthen their capacity as the anchor organization. It involved aligning Cornerstone’s strategic plan, budget, and engagement processes with what they were preparing to undertake with the planning process.
PRE-PLANNING PHASE
Jan 2019: Resident Group Formation
Residents were recruited to form a Steering Committee. The process prioritized equity by seeking diversity across geographic location, length of residency, renter or homeowner status, gender, race and age through an open application process. Candidates applied and were interviewed by a panel of residents from other neighborhoods who served in a similar capacity.
Jun 2019: Public Engagement, Planning Kick-Off
The residents and planning partner held a Public meeting at Union Avenue Christian Church introducing the process to the neighborhood for the first time.
PANDEMIC PIVOT:
PLANNING PARTNER SELECTION PROCESS
Dec 2020: New Planning Partner Outreach
Invest STL supported the Executive Committee composed of residents and Cornerstone Corporation in redefining the scope of work to attract technical planning partners who could support resident leadership. The Steering Committee wrote an RFP.
Jan 2021: Resident Group Re-Formation
The Steering Committee was opened up to mindfully recruit more residents from all corners of the neighborhood. An Executive Committee was formed to assist in administrative and executive aspects of the process.
Apr 2021: New Planning Partner Hired
Planning partners were evaluated by residents through the public sharing of RFP responses from the top 3 candidates (determined by the Steering Committee), and live, public interviews via Zoom. Residents and stakeholders submitted comments, questions, and ranked the finalists. The Steering Committee chose YARD & Company as the new planning partner.
BUILDING UNDERSTANDING
Oct 2021: Public Engagement, Planning Kick-Off, 2nd Edition
The residents and new planning partner held a public event at Ivory Perry Park to re-engage residents around the new effort.
Apr 2022: Community Engagement Strategy - Recruitment
YARD worked through Cornerstone Corporation to hire residents as community ambassadors, initiating the Ambassador Program that gave them a winning proposal. 5 residents were hired.
May 2022: Documentation of Existing Conditions for Planning
YARD and the Steering Committee finalized the document that captured the previous planning process, summarized themes from community engagement, and outlined goals for the upcoming planning process. It is referred to as the Summary of Understanding and can be found in the appendix of the weCollab plan.
EXPLORING WAYS FORWARD
May 2022: Community Engagement Strategy - Ambassador Program Launched
Ambassador program launched. Cornerstone Corporation developed outreach strategies with Ambassadors, leading data collection for the plan by holding pop-up events and sharing at events by key community stakeholders. They spread the word about the planning process and collected resident feedback and vision block by block. Lead ambassador recruited additional volunteers to support engagement.
Jun 2022: Public Engagement - Initial Input
The main objectives and strategies that would eventually influence the development initiatives and recommendations in the neighborhood plan were shared in Stakeholder meetings, at community meetings, and outdoor pop-ups. The planning team sought feedback and collaboration from neighborhood residents, business leaders, institutions, and elected officials.
REFINING & EMBEDDING THE PLAN
Aug 2022: Plan Drafting - Focus Areas Selected
YARD proposed potential physical locations to focus on that would influence widespread development based on Community Feedback, analysis of the existing neighborhood amenities, and how residents and visitors use them. The Steering Committee prioritized the focus areas based on resident engagement data, their lived experience, and rigorous discussion.
Nov 2022: Public Engagement - Confirming Neighborhood Vision
A third round of stakeholder meetings was held for feedback on the draft plan and coordination with other development efforts happening in the neighborhood. The draft plan was revealed at a large, public community meeting. In this series of public engagement, the community vision is nearly finalized in the plan.
Nov 2022 - May 2023: Plan Drafting - Revisions with City
YARD guided discussions with the Steering Committee in collaboration with Invest STL about implementation and designing the system of entit(ies) and individuals that will ensure the plan is implemented and won’t sit on a shelf (called the weCollab Operating System in the plan); Meanwhile coordinating with the City to ensure the plan conforms to city standards and addresses the needs of the city planning process. The Steering Committee voted for Cornerstone Corporation to become the administrative partner in plan implementation.
Jun 2023: Plan Adoption
The draft plan received feedback while available at 5 locations around the neighborhood for a 20 day public comment period. This period was just before the public hearing where the weCollab plan was adopted as a Neighborhood plan and supplement to the City’s Comprehensive Plan by the Planning Commission.
We honor and respect every resident who committed to this effort for any length of time since it began.
