.png)
City of St. Louis
ZOning UPgrade (ZOUP)
A Modern Code to Meet the Moment
Zoning Section + Planning and Urban Design Agency of St. Louis
TRANSIT
Q: Many people wanted to hear about how Zoning can support transit usage and access. What relationship does Zoning have to transit?
-
Zoning can encourage compact, mixed-use development with transit-supportive levels of intensity.
-
Zoning can help ensure buildings are oriented to the street and provide direct access to nearby transit stops.
-
Where necessary, zoning can require private developments to provide space to accommodate new or expanded transit stops.
-
Zoning can encourage shared parking or require that parking be located behind buildings, reducing pedestrian exposure to cars.
-
Parking maximums (caps on the number of parking spaces) could also be applied in certain areas to encourage use of transit.
TECHNOLOGY
Q: What role does technology play in the administration and use of contemporary Zoning codes? What kinds of technology do other cities use?
-
Many other cities have interactive web codes that allow easier reading of the zoning code online, including graphics and clickable links between sections of the zoning code, as well as the zoning map.
-
AI can be used to assist the public in answering questions online, helping them understand the rules applied to a particular property or explain the submission process. AI has been used in some jurisdictions to provide initial review of applications to ensure they comply with the zoning code, although this likely still requires some human oversight.
-
Most cities allow digital submission of drawings and documents, which St. Louis is preparing to do in the near future.
-
St. Louis’s departments currently use several different internal property database systems that don’t interact smoothly. Ideally, these systems should be fully integrated.
DECISION-MAKERS
Q: Zoning impacts everyone in St. Louis, so how do we make sure that the people with the most power and money don’t set all the rules?
-
One of the central goals of the ZOUP is to reduce the current reliance on discretionary processes that ultimately benefit those who have greater resources. The new zoning code should be transparent and fairly applied to everyone.
-
While there are many nuances still to be resolved, the ZOUP will be informed by the 2025 Strategic Land Use Plan (SLUP) and neighborhood planning processes, which include extensive public engagement processes and establish goals aimed at benefiting all residents of the city.
-
There will be many opportunities for the public to engage with the ZOUP. These include attending public meetings and workshops, responding to surveys, and participating in the Advisory Committee, which will meet regularly and will include members from a variety of demographics and neighborhoods.