Background
The OneSTL Regional Plan was developed through a three-year planning process funded through a grant received by East-West Gateway and ten core partners with the goal of fostering economically competitive, opportunity-rich communities that serve as the foundation of a healthy St. Louis region. The goals of OneSTL were generated through discussions with residents from throughout the Metro Area.
Information regarding the process of developing OneSTL is included below.
- Committees - There were four committees that involved over 200 members who worked collaboratively to engage in an inclusive and comprehensive regional planning process. The Steering Committee was the primary governing body of the planning process with East-West Gateway chairing the committee and serving as the fiscal agent of the grant. The Technical Planning, Public Engagement and Outcome Management committees each had specific tasks within the HUD-approved work plan.
- Partners - The Consortium Partners were the 11 organizations that are committed to the grant through a legally binding agreement with HUD. HUD required that the traditional principal city (City of St. Louis), the county with the largest population (St. Louis County), the Metropolitan Planning Organization (East-West Gateway) and a regional public engagement organization (FOCUS St. Louis) be included in the planning process. The remaining Consortium Partners were selected based on their willingness and capacity to contribute to the RPSD. They included Citizens for Modern Transit, Metropolitan St. Louis Equal Housing & Opportunity Council, Great Rivers Greenway District, Heartlands Conservancy, Metro (Bi-State Development Agency), Trailnet, and the Applied Research Collaborative (St. Louis University, University of Missouri-St. Louis, and Southern Illinois University-Edwardsville). Each of the 11 Consortium Partners were represented on the Steering Committee and were actively engaged in building a regional plan for St. Louis.
Sustainable Communities Initiative Planning Grant Information
OneSTL was funded by a grant from the Department of Housing and Urban Development, as part of the Sustainable Communities Regional Planning Grant Program. The program was part of the federal government's emphasis on integrated planning, where transportation, housing and environmental issues are linked to create more sustainable and economically vibrant communities. Built on initiatives underway in St. Louis at the time, like Great Rivers Greenway, Trailnet, and East-West Gateway's Renewing the Region Initiative, local governments, the private sector and other regional organizations worked together to create the OneSTL Plan.
