EPA Recognizes Old North St. Louis with "Smart Growth" Award

Top award focuses on creating sustainable communities

December 13, 2011 | 2 min reading time

This article is 14 years old. It was published on December 13, 2011.

 (Kansas City, Kan., Dec. 1, 2011) - EPA today recognized the community of Old North St. Louis, Mo., with the National Award for Smart Growth Achievement. Now in its 10th year, the award recognizes effectiveness in creating sustainable communities; a robust public involvement process; and partnerships among public, private, and nonprofit stakeholders.

The Old North St. Louis Restoration Group (ONSLRG) is the not-for-profit neighborhood group that laid the foundation for the community’s project. The community of Old North St. Louis used complementary, forward-looking strategies that encourage a mix of land uses, promote walking, rehabilitate vacant buildings, and establish green spaces. Two main blocks of Old North St. Louis have been redeveloped, with new sidewalks, benches, street trees, and streetlights. In addition, nearly 200 homes have been built by renovating abandoned historic buildings rather than demolishing them and by developing on vacant lots.

“The redevelopment of Old North St. Louis is a project the whole community can be proud of,” said Karl Brooks, EPA Region 7 Administrator. “The residents of Old North St. Louis rallied together to restore the neighborhood in a way that strengthens the local economy, benefits residents, and protects and sustains the environment.”

Smart growth development practices support national environmental goals by preserving parkland and protecting critical habitat, by improving transportation choices, including walking, bicycling, and transit, which reduce emissions from automobiles, by promoting brownfield redevelopment, and by reducing impervious surfaces, which improves water quality.

Most Read News

  1. City of St. Louis Launching Emergency Rental Assistance Program The City of St. Louis announced today that the application process for emergency rental assistance opens to St. Louis residents on December 3 and closes December 16.
  2. Mayor Jones Oversees Beginning of Workhouse Demolition In 2022, under Mayor Jones’ direction, the City of St. Louis stopped using the facility as a jail.
  3. City of St. Louis Launching OneStopGov, New Digital Portal for Interactions With the City The site, created with the help of funding from the American Rescue Plan Act, currently features online special events permitting that will streamline the permitting process for event organizers.

Was this page helpful?      



Comments are helpful!
500 character limit

Feedback is anonymous.