St. Louis has launched a new community initiative to engage residents in planning the future of their neighborhoods. The City’s Planning and Urban Design Agency introduced the Plan Area 7 neighborhood planning effort, covering Benton Park West, Dutchtown, Gravois Park, Marine Villa, and Mount Pleasant, and is inviting public participation in the process.
The recently completed Plan Area 1 neighborhood plan, finalized on December 17, 2025, set a precedent for community engagement. Continuing these efforts, the Plan Area 5 launch event is taking place today at the Third Degree Glass Factory on Delmar Boulevard, serving as both a celebration and a showcase of ongoing neighborhood planning initiatives, according to the City of St. Louis.
As the PlanSTL initiative expands, it emphasizes input from local residents to define what progress should look like in each area. The newly established Plan Area 7 Neighborhood Planning Committee is accepting applications from residents within the targeted neighborhoods, giving them an opportunity to influence the city’s planning efforts. Committee responsibilities include representing neighborhood voices and priorities during the planning process and serving as a link between residents, the City, and the planning team.
With the February 22 application deadline approaching, the City is seeking consultancy support to assist in the initiative. The search is focused on firms with experience in city planning, community engagement, and economic development. The City is also requesting multilingual engagement services to enable participation from residents of diverse cultural backgrounds.
The call for proposals includes firms able to implement pop-up demonstrations and tactical urbanism projects that reflect changing neighborhood conditions. This component, which involves identifying sites, developing activation concepts, and delivering a series of pop-up demonstrations, is designed to involve residents in the planning and use of community spaces.
Further information and instructions for submitting questions or proposals are available through links provided by the City. An information session is scheduled for February 18 and can be accessed via a Google Meet link.
