The JeffVanderLou Initiative was a comprehensive planning process to revitalize the north St Louis neighborhood bounded by Jefferson on the east, Vanderventer on the west, Natural Bridge on the north, and Martin Luther King to Delmar on the south. Killeen Studio served as local design consultant to Urban Design Associates of Pittsburgh.
The Initiative was organized into four subcommittees: education, health and human services, economic development, and housing and infrastructure. Each subcommittee was made up of neighborhood leaders, technical consultants, and most importantly, people who live and work in the JeffVanderLou neighborhood. These subcommittees were responsible for guiding the design team toward a physical plan for revitalization.
The physical plan was developed
through a three-phase process:
Phase 1
Documentation analysis
Understanding existing conditions
Understanding historical structure of
the neighborhood
Phase 2
Two major design workshops
Explore design alternatives
Study overall layout of streets and parks
Review specific design concepts
Phase 3
Complete Master Plan
Complete Design Team Report
The plan's major theme called for infill housing which matched the architectural integrity of the historic homes still standing as well as mixe-use buildings at major interstections. It was further suggested that construction begin in a concentrated area to send a clear message to neighbors and potential developers that revitalization was underway.
