City Arch River
St Louis
The City + The Arch + The River was an international design competition organized by national park supporters, the design community and leadership from both Missouri and Illinois and funded through private contributions. The National Park Service provided the framework for change through its 2009 General Management Plan and the competition was supported by federal, state and local government officials. The challenge was great – to take one of America's first urban park sites and weave it into the fabric of the St. Louis region - as well as connect it with both sides of the Mississippi River. Integral to the competition was the achievement of a balance between new ideas and the retention of the character-defining features of the site, the core of which is a National Historic Landmark. The Arch and the grounds immediately surrounding it would be honored. Ken Greenberg is part of the winning team led by Michael Van Valkenburgh Associates which is currently implementing the plan for the redesign of the park and the reshaping of the surrounding urban precincts in response.