​Green City Coalition is a formal partnership between the City of St. Louis, St. Louis Development Corporation, Missouri Department of Conservation, and Metropolitan St. Louis Sewer District working collaboratively with member organizations and neighbors to convert vacant and abandoned properties to new community-owned green spaces that promote healthy, biodiverse, and resilient neighborhoods.

​​We are not a stand-alone entity, and are staffed by an ​inter-disciplinary and inter-organizational team.

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SUSTAINING PARTNERS

CITY DEPARTMENTS

CITY OF ST. LOUIS

ST. LOUIS DEVELOPMENT CORP

FORESTRY DIVISION

BRIGHTSIDE

BUILDING DIVISION

PARKS DEPARTMENT

STREETS DIVISION

PLANNING & URBAN DESIGN AGENCY

MAYOR'S OFFICE

FOUNDATIONAL FUNDING
​& TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE

Foundational funding is provided by the Missouri Department of Conservation and Metropolitan St. Louis Sewer District, with fiscal management provided by Missouri Conservation Heritage Foundation.

MISSOURI DEPARTMENT OF CONSERVATION

METROPOLITAN ST. LOUIS
​SEWER DISTRICT

MISSOURI CONSERVATION HERITAGE FOUNDATION

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OUR TEAM
​

Zach Kassman, MSW
Vacancy Projects Specialist
 St. Louis Development Corporation

Laura Ginn, MSc​
City Vacancy Strategist
​St. Louis Development Corporation

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COALITION GOALS

​1. Increase sense of community and vitality;

2. Increase neighborhood safety and aesthetics;

3. Increase prosperity and equitable reinvestment;

4. Improve health and well-being;

5. Improve environmental health and resilience;

    ​in high-vacancy neighborhoods in the City of St. Louis.

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COALITION FRAMEWORK

GREEN SPACES
Transform vacant lots into neighborhood green spaces that...
encourage local reinvestment to improve neighborhood vitality & sustainability;
enhance neighborhood aesthetics & appeal;
increase health & well-being through equitable access to nature;
provide ecologically significant habitat;
contribute to community-driven gathering places;
promote urban food production.

​GREEN STEWARDS
Co-create opportunities for residents to...
engage with and benefit from nature;
learn about green infrastructure, climate change & sustainability;
promote community vitality through an increased connection with nature and neighbors.

​GREEN WORKS
Promote the creation of jobs for...
installation and maintenance of community green spaces;
improved vacant lot conditions and maintenance;
​enhanced demolition practices;
new deconstruction opportunities;
resilience & vitality of neighborhoods;
sustainability of the St. Louis region.

​GREEN POLICIES
Develop and implement policies and programs to...
protect new community open spaces;
encourage renovation of vacant structures and infill development on adjacent blocks;
encourage local reinvestment to improve neighborhood vitality & sustainability;
help low-income families obtain mortgages and reverse the legacy of red-lining;
ensure residents are not displaced due to higher rents, taxes, or an increased demand for property.

​GREEN PARTNERS
Coordinate Coalition partner and member efforts for maximum impact to...
re-imagine vacancy potential through community engagement and ownership;
plan and assemble large-scale connected open space;
provide publicly accessible data on the conversion of vacancy;
​strategically monitor and evaluate program impacts.

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COALITION HISTORY

​Green City Coalition was formed in Fall 2016, as an offshoot of the Urban Vitality & Ecology ​Initiative and ​MSD Project Clear, to work with neighborhoods in addressing three overlapping needs: (1) new purposes and management approaches for vacant and abandoned properties; (2) open space to absorb stormwater and reduce combined sewer overflows; and (3) increased access to nature for City residents.

Urban Vitality & Ecology Initiative

In 2013, the Missouri Department of Conservation, Missouri Botanical Garden and the City of St. Louis' Office of Sustainability joined forces to form the City of St. Louis Urban Vitality & Ecology (UVE) Initiative. The initiative brought local and regional stakeholders together to achieve the shared goal of connecting people to nature where they live, work, learn and play. The initiative facilitated increased collaboration among residents, universities, environmental organizations, and local and state government agencies.

The UVE Initiative developed a pilot project in the Baden neighborhood to enhance existing green spaces, provide nature-based programming, initiate community gardening, and employ local youth as green stewards. 

Lessons learned from this pilot effort were used to inform the development of Green City Coalition as an opportunity to focus on vacancy and inequitable access to quality outdoor spaces. 

MSD Project Clear

The Metropolitan St. Louis Sewer District (MSD), as part of MSD's Project Clear, is required to remove impervious surface in the City - to create more open space to absorb stormwater and decrease combined sewer overflows. Through an agreement between MSD and the St. Louis Development Corporation (SLDC), up to $13.5 million will be spent on removing vacant and abandoned buildings as a way to both remove impervious surface and help the City, in part, with the challenges posed by hazardous, vacant and abandoned structures.