In a recent article by The Wall Street Journal, St. Louis was described as having a “real estate nightmare” complete with lost jobs, theft, and abandoned buildings. The article gave the example of The Railway Exchange Center, a once-thriving commercial building and department store that has since been abandoned and remains in a hazardous condition. Such buildings are now, unfortunately, a common sight in St. Louis, a city plagued by a combination of economic, social, and budgetary issues. However, St. Louis has begun to set its sights on a brighter future, where greater investment will help the city recover from its current struggles.
As a once thriving city, St. Louis was a key location along the Missouri River, the longest river in the United States. It was the fourth largest city in the late 1800s in terms of both population and output of manufactured goods. When combined with ample water-based transportation, St. Louis had the potential to become one of the largest and most prosperous cities in the US. However, various issues began plaguing the city during the mid-1900s. Industrial pollution caused severe environmental degradation in the city. Later, rapid urbanization promoted racial tensions, and the city government committed callous acts in the name of urban renewal. In 1953, St. Louis cleared the Mill Creek Valley neighborhood, primarily consisting of low-income, black residents, under the guise of remediating unsanitary conditions. Intending to build new highways and middle-class living spaces, St. Louis attempted to recover its once-prominent status as one of America’s foremost cities. Nevertheless, St. Louis’ attempts at reform with urban housing projects were marred by declines in public services, racist lending policies, and discriminatory racial covenants that disproportionally harmed the low-income black population of the city.
Rapid urbanization promoted racial tensions, and the city government committed callous acts in the name of urban renewal.
As a result of the city’s mismanagement and racism, discriminatory practices combined with an increasing crime rate led to one of St. Louis’s most significant failures in its history: Pruitt-Igoe. Created as a novel housing project, Pruitt-Igoe was immediately destined for failure. While far from the largest issue plaguing the development, Pruitt-Igoe’s design invited crime and a lack of security. Combined with the more significant problem of racially discriminatory practices such as redlining and gentrification pushing members of the black community toward unsafe housing projects, crimes against low-income black people rose exponentially, leading to a decreased quality of life that highlighted the failure of St. Louis’s administration and left onlookers with a hopeless view of a once great city.
However, St. Louis has recently begun to increase developments and investments in various communities. While abandoned buildings and high crime continue to plague the city, improvements toward a more sustainable city are evident. As the leading higher education institution in the area, WashU has had the unique opportunity to contribute to improving the region around them. WashU alone has contributed $8.8 billion to the nearby economy, and improvements in WashU’s School of Medicine have cemented St. Louis as an essential healthcare location for Eastern Missouri and Southern Illinois. Last year, WashU spearheaded the Civil Rights & Restorative Justice Action Research Lab, promising to “redress histories and legacies of racial violence and repression in Missouri.” Additionally, WashU’s “Arts as Civic Engagement” Program pairs students and resources with local, community-engaged art organizations, using art as a medium to interact with local businesses, non-profits, and individuals for increased representation and awareness of social issues. Finally, programs like the “Clinical Education Program” provide local community members with free resources and legal support on matters ranging from wrongful convictions to filing tax returns. As the second largest employer in the region (BJC HealthCare takes first as the region’s largest employer, but also has close ties to WashU), WashU has contributed toward greater economic development and spearheaded efforts to improve science curriculum in nearby schools, improving K-12 education in schools districts that do not have the funding for innovative curriculum.
The best path forward is investing in the people to end cycles of poverty.
In addition, recent commercial developments, such as Centene Stadium, the headquarters for St. Louis City SC, have brought greater investment and promoted more significant economic growth by increasing hospitality businesses opening locations nearby. Despite these developments, the best path forward is investing in the people to break the cycle of poverty. Companies must continue investing further in the region and remain accountable to their goals and results while collaborating with community members to address their specific needs. While the government is taking steps in the right direction, locally based businesses and educational institutions, such as WashU, need to continue to expand their investments while addressing the needs of those who would benefit the most from increased growth.
Alan Knight ‘27 studies in the College of Arts & Sciences. He can be reached at a.z.knight@wustl.edu.