The URSYS (Urban-Rural Systems) Research Network’s fourth event in a series of regional workshops was held in St. Louis, Missouri, November 8-10, 2024. This workshop brought together local and regional stakeholders from academia, government, non-governmental organizations, and industry to explore the Mississippi River Basin (MRB) as a large interconnected urban and environmental system. The workshop was held at the Pennywell Hilton in the vicinity of The Arch and engaged many local stakeholders around the topic of vacant lands in the St. Louis metro area and their potential future use for flood mitigation. We are particularly grateful to Andrew Hurley from the University of Missouri-St. Louis for his insights into the environmental history of the riverfront.
The presentations focused on three themes:
People: Connections, Equity, and Justice – Marla Moore (Lincoln University St. Louis Impact Center) discussed her work on capturing the experiences of residents in North City with flooding and vacancy. Melissa Jones (University of Missouri) highlighted her knowledge of the community’s experiences with the complex issues around stormwater management and flooding in East St. Louis. Emily Connor (Riverlands Audubon) described community-based education and outreach efforts targeting students from communities of color.
Vegetation – How are questions about natural / semi-natural vegetation, canopy cover distribution, and green infrastructure shaping planning and design in the city and region? Mike Sunde (University of Missouri) provided an overview of work on vegetation cover in St. Louis and how it is being used by local government and non-profits.
Flooding- What are the legacies of the 1927, 1993, and other major Mississippi River Floods on cities and their regions? How are they shaping land use planning, urban design, and issues of justice and equity? We learned from Heather Navarro (Washington University) about the Midwest Climate Collaborative and introduced the St. Louis group’s interest in developing a symposium focused on the 1927 flood.
The URSYS (Urban-Rural Systems) Research Network’s fourth
event in a series of regional workshops was held in St. Louis, Missouri,
November 8-10, 2024. This workshop brought together local and
regional stakeholders from academia, government, non-governmental
organizations, and industry to explore the Mississippi River Basin (MRB) as a
large interconnected urban and environmental system. The workshop was held
at the Pennywell Hilton in vicinity of The Arch and engaged many local
stakeholders around the topic of vacant lands in the St. Louis metro area and
their potential future use for flood mitigation. We are particularly grateful
to Andrew Hurley from the University of Missouri-St. Louis for his insights
into the environmental history of the riverfront.The presentations focused on three themes:People: Connections, Equity and Justice – Marla Moore
(Lincoln University St. Louis Impact Center) discussed her work on capturing
the experiences of residents in North City with flooding and vacancy. Melissa
Jones (University of Missouri) highlighted her knowledge of community’s
experiences with the complex issues around stormwater management and flooding
in East St. Louis. Emily Connor (Riverlands Audubon) described community-based
education and outreach efforts targeting students from communities of color.Vegetation – How are questions natural / semi-natural
vegetation, canopy cover distribution, and green infrastructure shaping
planning and design in the city and region? Mike Sunde (University of Missouri)
provided an overview of work on vegetation cover in St. Louis and how it is
being used by local government and non-profits. Flooding- What are the legacies of the 1927, 1993,
and other major Mississippi River Floods on cities and their regions? How are
they shaping land use planning, urban design, and issues of justice and
equity? We learned from Heather Navarro
(Washington University) about the Midwest Climate Collaborative introduced the
St. Louis groups interest in developing a symposium focused on the 1927 flood.
