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East-West Gateway recently launched a process to expand the way communities think of
transportation. Instead of merely viewing a roadway project as solely a way to move more cars and trucks faster, we envision using projects to trigger economic  and social benefit by centering
communities around interesting, lively and attractive streets.
More than 160 planners, engineers, city managers and
elected officials attended a Great Streets Symposium sponsored by East-West Gateway in October 2006. Attendees heard national and local experts discuss how a
"Great Street" can stimulate sustainable economic activity, provide an aesthetically pleasing sense of place and still efficiently and safely move vehicles, pedestrians and
cyclists. Presentations from the Great Streets Symposium are linked below.
As a starting point, local leaders and their citizens need to ask what they want their transportation
system to accomplish, including  how better street design can connect residents with services,
amenities and each other. This type of planning requires thinking beyond the curb to see how transportation decisions affect development and how streets affect nearby
residents and those in surrounding communities.
In February 2007, a technical workshop will be held to
assist local communities to design their own "Great Streets." At the workshop, a digital, on-line guide to design and process issues in planning place-making streets will also
debut. Following the workshop, the web manual will be publicly accessible as a regularly maintained website.
Finally, communities can also compete to host a demonstration project. A select number of
demonstration projects will receive planning support and possibly funds to implement improvements.
Examples of Other Streetscape Projects
(pdf file - 741 kb)
Symposium
Digital Reference Guide
Great Streets Workshops for the St. Louis Area
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