
We’re thrilled to share that the comprehensive plan for University City, Missouri—We Make U City—has won the 2024 APA St. Louis Metro Section Outstanding Plan Making Award! This honor recognizes group achievements that elevate the value of planning to create stronger, more inclusive communities.
We Make U City stands out for its bold, forward-thinking approach to tackling the City’s most pressing challenges: addressing historic inequities, including a legacy of racial segregation, to mitigating the impacts of more frequent flooding through a focus on resiliency. The plan’s character-based land use strategy was also at the heart of the plan in an effort to consider how this historic streetcar suburb can re-imagine its future as a more vibrant, prosperous, and equitable community.
Community engagement played a vital role in ensuring the plan reflected diverse voices, including innovative input from local high schoolers. Its actionable strategies address key areas like housing, transportation, and economic development, emphasizing partnerships with institutions like Washington University and the local school system.
Already in motion, the City has begun implementing the plan by updating its zoning ordinance to remove barriers to green development, enable compact mixed-use growth, and support “missing middle” housing. These steps are critical to achieving a more sustainable and inclusive future.
Congratulations to University City on this well-deserved recognition!