Park Study Tour: St. Louis, MO

Park Partnerships

The relationships between the City of St. Louis, the National Park Service, and privately led foundations and organizations are reshaping parks programming, operations, maintenance, and funding. Learn about successful models of park partnerships, including the evolution of friends groups into true parks conservatorships.

Repurposing Urban Landscapes in a Legacy City

In a post-industrial city with aging infrastructure and slow economic growth, witness the value that parks and green space bring to the reinvigoration of urban neighborhoods and environments.

Equitable Access and Inclusion

Realize the importance of free and low-cost attractions, access to parks through public transportation, Universal Design, and the role of greenways in connecting people and parks throughout the community.

Thursday, June 1

• 3:00-4:15 pm Welcome & check-in at hotel lobby
• 4:15-4:30 pm Board bus
• 4:30 pm Bus departs for opening reception at Forest Park
• 5:00 pm Arrive at Forest Park for drinks and hors d’oeuvres
• 5:30 pm Welcome to St. Louis and Tour Overview – The Boathouse at Forest Park
• Hon. Tishaura O. Jones, Mayor, City of St. Louis
• Greg Hayes, Director, Department of Parks, Recreation, and Forestry, City of St. Louis
• 6:00 pm Dinner and networking (optional paddling, Twilight Thursdays Concert Series–Staxx Records, walk to Shakespeare in the Park)
• 7:00 pm Closing remarks (CPA and host team)
• 8:00 & 9:30 pm Bus shuttle from Boathouse to hotel

Friday, June 2

• 7:00-7:45 am Breakfast (for hotel block guests only – be sure to get your voucher at check-in)
• Pennydrop Bar + Kitchen – hotel lobby
• 8:00-9:00 am Recovering Stormwater in Parks (Repurposing Urban Landscapes)
• Pennywell Hotel – Reserve Ballroom off the hotel lobby
• Speakers:
• Jenna Jarvis, Green Infrastructure Manager, Metropolitan St. Louis Sewer District
• Chip Crawford, Managing Director, Lamar Johnson Collaborative
• 9:15 am Bus departs for Tower Grove Park
• 9:30-11:30 am Visit to Tower Grove Park (Park Partnerships, Equitable Access and Inclusion) Arrive at Palm House, Walk East Stream
• Driving Tour Speakers:
• Mary Ferguson, Facilitator for Columbus Statue Commission
• Chip Crawford, Managing Director, Lamar Johnson Collaborative
• Bill Reininger, Executive Director, Tower Grove Park
• 11:45 am Bus departs
• 12:00 pm Arrive at Gravois Greenway for lunch at The Lodge at Grant’s Trail (Park Partnerships)
• Speakers:
• Tom Blair, St. Louis District Engineer, Missouri Department of Transportation
• Lonny Boring, Senior Project Manager, Great Rivers Greenway
• 12:45 pm Walk Gravois Greenway to trailhead, restored prairie and wetland, and recycling center
• 2:00 pm Bus departs to Gateway Arch National Park
• 2:30 pm Arrive at Gateway Arch, Tour of museum, Burg Garden, North Gateway, Grand Staircase, Riverfront, and Luther Ely Smith Square
• Speakers (Park Partnerships, Repurposing Urban Landscapes, Equitable Access and Inclusion):
• Jeremy Sweat, Superintendent, Gateway Arch National Park
• Susan Trautman, CEO, Great Rivers Greenway
• Ryan McClure, Executive Director, Gateway Arch Park Foundation
• David Newburger, Commissioner on the Disabled, City of St. Louis
• 4:30 pm Free time
• 5:15 pm Meet in hotel lobby to walk to dinner program
• 5:30-7:30 pm Dinner at Windows on Kiener Plaza 701 Market St.
• Speakers on Downtown Challenges (Park Partnerships):
• Kurt Weigle, Senior Vice President and Chief Downtown Officer, Greater St Louis Inc.
• Ryan McClure, Executive Director, Gateway Arch Park Foundation
• 7:00-7:45 am Breakfast (for hotel block guests only – be sure to get your voucher at check-in)
• Pennydrop Bar + Kitchen – hotel lobby
• 8:00-9:00 am Community Engagement and Public Art (Park Partnerships, Equitable Access and Inclusion)
• Pennywell Hotel – Reserve Ballroom off the hotel lobby
• Speakers:
• Chloe Smith, Grants and Programs Manager, Regional Arts Commission
• Shaughnessy Daniels, Director of Civic Engagement, Great Rivers Greenway
• Anna Leavy, Brickline Greenway Program Manager, Great Rivers Greenway
• 9:15 am Bus departs for Forest Park
• 9:35 am Arrive at Forest Park for tour of World’s Fair Pavilion and Playscape
• Speakers on community engagement and outreach, park usage (Equitable Access and Inclusion):
• Lesley Hoffarth, President & Executive Director, Forest Park Forever
• John O’Gorman, Senior Vice President of Development & Community Initiatives, Forest Park Forever
• 2 students and an SLPS contact – waiting to be confirmed
• 11:00 am Bus departs
• 11:15 am Arrive at St. Vincent Greenway: Trojan Park and walk to Engelholm Creek Overlook (Repurposing Urban Landscapes, Equitable Access and Inclusion)
• Speakers:
• Michael Steinlage, Project Manager, Great Rivers Greenway
• April Walker, Greenway Ambassador, West End Neighborhood
• Hon. Nathaniel Griffin, Mayor, City of Wellston
• 11:45 am Bus departs
• 12:00 pm Arrive at City Foundry for Brickline Greenway lunch program
• Speakers on equity and economic development (Repurposing Urban Landscapes, Equitable Access and Inclusion):
• Will Smith, Managing Director, Investments and Asset Management, New + Found
• T. Christopher Peoples, Equity + Economic Impact Director, Great Rivers Greenway
• Susan Trautman, Chief Executive Officer, Great Rivers Greenway
• Hank Webber, Principal, Urban Impact Advisors
• 2:00 pm Bus departs City Foundry for hotel