2017 Great Places in Missouri list includes two St. Louis spots

The Missouri Chapter of the American Planning Association selected three destinations for its annual list—and two are in St. Louis.

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Next time you're in Tower Grove Park or downtown Kirkwood, you'll be among two of Missouri's "Great Places" of 2017.

The Missouri Chapter of the American Planning Association (APA), which is made up of more than 500 professional planners across the state, recently announced this year's three Great Places in Missouri.

The Great Places in Missouri program, which began in 2014, recognizes public spaces throughout the state that demonstrate "exceptional character, quality, and planning, attributes that enrich communities, facilitate economic growth, and inspire residents and visitors." It's modeled after the APA's Great Places in America program.

The three winners are below:

Great Public Space in Missouri: Tower Grove Park (St. Louis)

  • "Tower Grove Park epitomizes a great public space as it encourages community gatherings, both planned and spontaneous, that people of all ages can enjoy, promotes a sense of community and reflects the character and heritage of St. Louis."

Great Street in Missouri: 4th Street Corridor (Maryville)

  • "The 4th Street Corridor is a culturally significant area for the community... This Great Street project incorporated not only redevelopment of adjacent retail and housing, but takes a complete street approach with traffic calming, landscaping, safety lighting, and trail extensions to connect Northwest Missouri State University and downtown Maryville."

Great Neighborhood in Missouri: Downtown Kirkwood (St. Louis)

  • "The neighborhood contains numerous public spaces including three city-owned pocket parks, the Kirkwood Farmer's Market, Kirkwood Public Library, City Hall, Police, and Fire Stations... Downtown Kirkwood exemplifies a great neighborhood by incorporating the preservation of historic assets to maintain transportation options, while encouraging brownfield redevelopment and including diverse housing choices."

APA Missouri will recognize the 2017 Great Places in Missouri at a ceremony on February 1 at the Missouri State Capitol in Jefferson City.

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