St Louis Magazine / September 2010 / What's the Big Idea?

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What's the Big Idea?

45 plans to transform St. Louis

This summer, the SLM editors launched a project the magazine had never tried before. We contacted about 50 especially informed, creative, and influential St. Louisans and asked: If we gave you a check for $10 million, what’s the single project you would create to transform or improve St. Louis? Most accepted our challenge immediately—and more than a few knew right away what their projects would be. (It seems they’ve been waiting years for a real $10 million.) Other participants got out a blank piece of paper—
or the back of a nearby napkin—and started sketching.

What follows are 45 responses from 45 St. Louisans—from educators, scientists, and architects to developers, writers, and clergy members. The magazine’s role in this was one of coordination; the entries are the participants’ own. The parameters we gave them when they signed on: You’ve got about 200 words; the “idea” can be anything you dream up (a school, a park, a concept, a renovation, a demolition…) that benefits the St. Louis region; and you should feel free to have some fun—this is in many ways a serious exercise, but a bit of whimsy won’t hurt.

We hope you enjoy the range, variety, and creativity of their proposals. And we hope this project as a whole will start—or perhaps rekindle—some conversations about the future of our shared city.  —Stephen Schenkenberg
 

Editor's Note: St. Louis Magazine's 17-page Big Idea cover feature is available only in print (though, below is a preview of a few ideas). Please call Teresa Foss at 314-918-3030 to purchase a copy, or head to your local bookstore, grocery store, or newsstand. Thanks for your interest.

Big Idea Previews:

1. The Great River Turbine
By Michael Jantzen, artist/designer

Image and video courtesy of Micheal Jantzen

St. Louis Magazine—September 2010—Jantzen Big Idea from St. Louis Magazine on Vimeo.
 

2. Illuminate the Arts in Grand Center
By Eric Thoelke, president and creative director of TOKY Branding + Design

Images courtesy of Eric Thoelke