Urban Pastoral, Mississippi Waterfront, St. Louis 2010

Steedman Traveling Competition


The historic development of St. Louis took advantage of its river-front geography to aid industry, but has proven detrimental to the environment and turned urban life away from this vital resource. The light industrial brownfield areas to the north and south of the Gateway Park must be rehabilitated.

This project outlines proposals for concentrating public ameneties along the river. It increases urban density; trading FAR rights allows those wishing to build at higher density to balance their high-rise buildings with interspersed public parks, for a continuity of greenspace.

Also proposed is a series of public infrastructures which include waterfront parkways and ferry shuttles to revive the downtown area. This includes number of water-wheel parks that could harness the potential energy of the Mississippi. Placed on friction-less bearings, the round plates would revolve slowly with the pressure of the current rushing past. The significant weight of the structures would moderate the speed of their turning. Anyone standing in place would be gradually rotated between land and water.