“You can’t change history, but I do think [urban] planning has a lot to offer with respect to charting a different future,” the Harvard Graduate School of Design’s Diane Davis told the Harvard Gazette ahead of recent conference 'Voices and Visions of St. Louis: Past, Present, Future', held Wednesday, March 30 through Friday, April 1 at the GSD. Taking St. Louis as an entry point to questions of social justice and the American city, the conference gathered nearly two dozen participants to deconstruct the planning and design decisions that have marked the city’s contested history.

Participants also imagined design and design-informed approaches that might undo the damage, framing a multi-year, trans-disciplinary dialogue that Davis and others hope to continue. The blend of speakers, about half of whom currently work and live in St. Louis, brought a commensurate variety of disciplinary, professional, and personal perspectives to the conference experience. In addition to those hailing from St. Louis, many of the Boston-based participants have personal histories and connections with the city; Davis herself is a St. Louis County native.....Continue Reading

Watch "Voices and Visions Of St. Louis: Past, Present, Future" Keynote Panel

event poster of Harvard GSD. Image courtesy of GSD

Demolition of Pruitt-Igoe; image courtesy US Department of Housing and Urban Development.

Top Image courtesy of Harvard GSD.

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