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prospectus

St. Louis:A New ‘Metropolitics’

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A New ‘Metropolitics’ -- St. Louis, the Gateway to Learning

In 1993, former Secretary of Housing and Urban Development Henry Cisneros made the assertion that the three entities of metropolitan regions- cities, suburbs, and towns- are “all in it together” in his book Interwoven Destinies in which he calls for new partnerships between government, business, and commu-nity. While cities have always been dependent on their hinter-lands, never has this relationship been more interwoven than today’s suburbs and cities, where the only clear remaining demarcations between one or the other are political boundar-ies. It is clear that in this climate, we need new definitions of the ‘places in which we live’ that transcend the urban/subur-ban divide and help us to find new ways to cross boundaries for the mutual success of the region as a whole.

In 2008, venerated journalist Neal Peirce asked the fundamen-tal question: A New ‘Metropolitics’-Are We Ready? The St. Louis region is more than ready and can show others the way.

Partners for Livable Communities, a Washington DC non profit organization focused on livability, suggests that the time is right to shine international attention on the St. Louis region through a thought-provoking and exciting gathering of leaders from every sector of civic life. A well-run Congress that incor-porates nationally-renowned speakers, timely and innovative content and a lively agenda can inspire local and visiting stake-holders and serve as a springboard for new growth and change in any community. This document sets forth ideas of what such an event might look like in St. Louis.

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St. Louis: The Place to Meet and Learn!

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Gateway To Learning

St. Louis, once gateway to the west is now gateway to the world. The St. Louis region, home to more than 2.7 million people, world class cultural treasures and twenty-one Fortune One Hundred com-panies has been selected to host a national gathering to announce that it has indeed “come back” better, brighter and leading the way as one of this country’s premier loca-tions to live, learn and conduct business.

St. Louis is a global model for a livable region. Leaders from the United States and around the world can learn important lessons from St. Louis: how to be competi-tive in a global economy and how to retain a high quality of living for all, even in these turbulent times.

From Recovery to

9Renaissance

When syndicated urban affairs columnist Neal Peirce came into town in 1997, he saw a city in the throws of a rapid decline. Eight years later, Peirce returned and witnessed a revival of downtown calling it the “most significant” he had ever seen. Fast forward to 2009 when residents and visitors alike will find a St. Louis that can truly call itself “world class.” With a list of recent accolades al-most as long as the mighty rivers it borders, St. Louis, in just over ten years, has established itself as a vibrant urban center paying homage to its rich history while blazing a path to innovation. St. Louis has much to share with leaders across the world attempting similar turnarounds.

“St. Louis is back”More than 5,000 housing units have been built downtown since 2000, helping to reverse a popu-lation flight that had plagued the central city for more than 50 years. The comeback has fueled close to $4 billion of investments that includes a rehabbed Washington Avenue loft district and a new downtown stadium for the St. Louis Cardinals. The city has maintained the buzz with a renewed focus on the downtown riverfront, a bikeway that encircles the region known as the “River Ring”, a $70 million renovation of the Central Library, and redevelopment of one of St. Louis’ celebrated land-marks Post Office Square. When in June, 2008 it was announced that the St. Louis region won the All American City Award - the most prestigious civic recognition award in the nation, it became clear to many around the U.S. what locals had known for years - St. Louis is back!

In these times of economic hardship, St. Louisappears well prepared to weather the storm. According to County Executive Charlie Dooley, St. Louis is relatively strong in terms of con-struction and job creation. The housing market in St. Louis has leveled out during the past cou-ple of months and shows signs of rebounding slightly according to the National Association of Realtors. Missouri led the nation in the num-ber of jobs created in September 2008 and has created a total of 78,000 jobs since January 2005. With an economic machine that includes seven Fortune 500 companies, St. Louis leaders have confidence in the region’s ability to absorb national economic hardships.

Now that there is a new administration in Washington with a focus on job creation, St. Louis is poised to gain big money for infrastruc-ture improvements. Forbes Magazine recently estimated St. Louis has $2.3 billion in “shov-el-ready” projects that includes money for schools, community development and transpor-tation. An estimated 61,000 jobs will be cre-ated as a result of the projects.

Recovery in Hard Times

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What Does This Mean for St. Louis?

The City of St. Louis has climbed through hard times into the designation as an All American City in the past few years. St. Louis has perhaps made a greater turnaround than any other U.S. city since 2000. A culmination of years of dedication, collaboration, and innovation among regional leaders and area citizens has made the St. Louis region truly “Region Livable.”

A success story like St. Louis has a lot to teach. A leader-ship gathering in St. Louis makes perfect sense in a coun-try reeling from economic decline. This is a time for new partnerships, for increased cross-sector dialogue, and for investment and innovation. The St. Louis’ motto ‘perfectly centered and remarkably connected’ encapsulates best the new vibrance of a truly international city. With an ac-cessible location in the heart of the country and a diverse regional population of close to 3 million people, what better place to showcase the leaders, movements, and issues of the urban region for the next generation?

“From City Beautiful to Region Livable”

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Lessons from St. Louis

13•Cities of all sizes understand that one of the most vital natural resources natural resources of the fu-ture is brain power. Economic guru Richard Florida proclaims that “winning places are the ones that establish an edge early on … these places gain a long-lasting advantage…” St. Louis has that edge; Forbes Magazine ranked St. Louis as one of the best cities for young professionals due to the high number of businesses, exceptional quality of life, low cost of living, and number of graduate school options.

•St. Louis has been investing heavily in the physical development of downtown and surrounding ar-eas. With its downtown resurgence from over $3.7 billion in investment since 1999, St. Louis serves as a prime example of a “Renaissance Region.” Learn who the partners are, how the projects are fi nanced and the impact that has resulted.

•“Two blocks in downtown St. Louis are being transformed into something unlike anything else in the country.” Enjoy and learn about this innovative urban oasis fi lled with exemplary sculpture, contem-plative spaces and children’s water-play areas.

•St. Louis has world-class cultural attractions, including the St. Louis Zoo, the Science Center, the St. Louis Art Museum, and the Missouri Botanical Garden. These institutions are exceptional models that confer important economic, social and quality of life benefi ts to St. Louis. Learn how and why this high quality is maintained in hard times.

•St. Louis is an excellent example of a city addressing issues that affect the entire region including transportation, labor force, amenities, regional governance, etc. Discuss the challenges, opportunities and solutions that this bi-state region successfully meets head-on.

•Historically known as the “Gateway to the West”, St. Louis continues to hold its reputation for being a gateway and a hub, but in a different context. Today, the region of St. Louis is a gateway to the world economy. Learn how strong partnerships with China have transformed St. Louis into an international cargo hub projected to serve a twenty-state region. The St. Louis airport recently received its fi rst cargo shipment from a foreign country, signifying a major milestone in this quest.

•St. Louis’ growing biotechnology industry has become a major contributor to the worldwide conversa-tion about environmental sustainability and food and health needs. Learn how civic leaders attracted and maintain this valuable sector that makes a signifi cant contribution to regional job growth and worldwide recognition.

•St. Louis recently became one of the fi rst cities in the country--before New York, Chicago, and San Francisco--to be recognized by the United States Green Building Council as having a LEED for Homes Platinum residence. Learn how this step is a foundation for a sustainable future. •Downtown Now! became a leader in St. Louis’ remarkable transformation. Meet the public offi cials, entrepreneurs, investors and others to learn the tools and policies that shape St. Louis today.

A New ‘Metropolitics’

“Metros - the increasingly urbanized regions that make up the ‘citistates’ of our time are the center of action in today’s America. The biggest 100 alone account for 65% of our national population and 75% of our economic activity. They have become the country’s wellsprings of innovation, investors, higherlearning, advanced research, and profitable businesses.”

-Journalist Neal Peirce

Urbanization

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Today, more than ever, a region’s quality of life attracts economic enterprise more than accessibility or raw materials because the most valuable raw material is informa-tion and knowledge. Defi ning quality of life may be diffi cult—but we all know when it is there—or when it is not.

In 1993, former Secretary of Housing and Urban Development Henry Cisneros made the assertion that the three enti-ties of metropolitan regions- cities, sub-urbs, and towns- are “all in it together” in his book Interwoven Destinies in which he calls for new partnerships between government, business, and community. While cities have always been depen-dent on their hinterlands, never has this relationship been more interwoven than today’s suburbs and cities, where the only clear remaining demarcations between one or the other are political boundaries. It is clear that in this climate, we need new defi nitions of the ‘places’ we live that transcend the urban/suburban divide and help us to fi nd new ways to cross bound-aries for the mutual success of the region as a whole.

In 2008, venerated journalist Neal Peirce asked the fundamental question – A New ‘Metropolitics’ – Are We Ready?

The overarching reason why regionalism has moved into policy discussions is the globalization of the economy and the emergence of the region as the basic unit of that global economy. New York no longer competes with New Jersey; now the New York-New Jersey region competes with the Dallas-Fort Worth region, Greater London, San Diego-Tijuana region and other economic blocks throughout the world. Regional powerhouses such as these are sure to have an economic ad-vantage, lock in their share of resources and perhaps most importantly enjoy—and take advantage of—a highly visible profi le as a desirable place to live, work, and do business.

Partners proposes five themes that would fall under the umbrella of “The Metro Region in a New World.” These five themes seek to address the fundamen-tals of the economy, environment, human capital, leadership, and quality of life as key aspects of a liv-able, competitive region.

Global Players in Economic Development: Economic Recovery and Economic Innovation During this time of global economic instability it will be important to give community leaders the information and tools necessary to become financially autonomous on a regional level, in addition to providing creative ideas for job creation/attraction, small business development, and public/private partnerships. Labor Force Needs for our Region – Who Can Help Train our Workforce?Learning from our World CompetitionVenture Capital in a New World Order

Climate Prosperity and SustainabilityThis theme is on the top of everyone’s minds these days, and many experts are starting to notice that some of the most effective measures to curb environmental instability are coming from the state, regional, local, or grass roots level. This Congress will attract leaders from this field to educate at tendees on successful strategies to both plan for and prevent climate change and the effects of the reduction of natural resources. Sustainability as Common ¢ (Cents) and Good BusinessThe New City Beautiful Movement – “Green and Smart Communities”

17 Growing your Human Assets

In order to make our regions stronger and more ‘livable’, we must begin with the fundamental assets of people, and recognizing that even populations that seem the most vulnerable have valuable contributions to be made to the commu-nity. By focusing part of this Congress on cultivating and supporting human capital, we can arm community leaders with the tools they need to strengthen their re-gions from the ground up. Fair Play and Equal Opportunity for Our Common FutureDemographic Shifting SandsDeveloping Livable Communities for All AgesThe Rise of Community Philanthropy

The New Metropolitics: City and Suburb- We Are All in This Together While cities and suburbs have individually gone in and out of popularity, there is a growing movement to consider how these two types of places can form a symbi-otic relationship, and how both can maximize their individual strengths towards the betterment of the region. The Congress will explore this issue and participants will brainstorm ways in which these two very different entities can coexist and thrive.Crossing the Line: Leadership for Regional Action Steps Towards Regional CooperationIt Takes Teamwork and a Game Plan to Succeed: New CivicsMetro Funding Strategies: Best Practices that Work from Around America

Quality of LifeEven after decades of proven successes, investing in a high quality of life still is often seen as a frill and not as critical in community development efforts. The Con-gress will address ways in which community leaders can positively affect the qual-ity of life in their regions by investing in culture, design, and amenities to comple-ment economic and social development agendas. The Arts Edge: Metro Assets for Quality of LifeCentral City Vitality: the Living Room of the RegionCommunity Institutions as Fulcrums of Change: Beyond Eds and Meds

SpeakersThis Congress will address and highlight local issues and successes, and at the same time have a national and international reach and appeal. With our shared connections in places such as Lyon, France and China, there is the potential to draw speakers and entertainment from these regions to pro-vide the international context to local regional issues.

Possible speakers include:• Thomas Friedman - World-renowned author of “The World is Flat,” jour nalist, and three-time Pulitzer Prize winner• Joe Cortright - an Economist specializing in regional economic analysis, innovation and industry clusters • Bruce Katz - Vice President and Founding Director of the Metropolitan Policy Program of the Brookings Institution, who also served as a Senior Advisor to the Department of Housing and Urban Development Secretary Shaun Donovan during President Obama’s transition• Adolpho Carrion - Director of the White House Office on Urban Affairs under President Obama and former President of the Bronx Borough of New York City• Rocco Landesman - Chairman, National Endowment for the Arts• Bill Frey - Ph.D. demographer and sociologist specializing in U.S. demographics and currently serving as a Senior Fellow with the Metro politan Policy Program at the Brookings Institution • Henry Cisneros - currently Executive Chairman of CityView and former Secretary of the Department of Housing and Urban Development• Ed Glaeser¬- Fred and Eleanor Glimp Professor of Economics in the Faculty of Arts and Sciences at Harvard University, Director of the A. Alfred Taubman Center for State and Local Government and Director of the Rappaport Institute of Greater Boston • Richard J. Daley - Mayor of the City of Chicago

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The speakers and panel members similar to these individuals, with the international standing and respect, will give the Congress national and international clout. Addi-tionally, in order to ground the Congress in St. Louis and to highlight the City ap-propriately, local experts in the five themes will be featured. Those leaders might include individuals such as:

• Hugh Grant- President and CEO of Monsanto• F. Gilbert Bickel, III - Chairman of St. Louis Arch Angels• James R. Kimmey, M.D., M.P.H. - President & Chief Executive Officer of the Mis souri Foundation for Health• Valerie Patton - Director of the St. Louis Business Diversity Initiative• Tracy Hart - Chair of the STLRCGA Board of Directors Energy & Environment Committee • Carol Camp Yeakey - Professor and Founding Director of the Center on Urban Research and Public Policy and Interdisciplinary Program in Urban Studies at Washington University, St. Louis• Kelly Patrick Gillespie - Executive Director of the Missouri Biotechnology Asso ciation• Tim Nowak - Executive Director of the St. Louis Center for International Rela tions• Dick Fleming - CEO, St. Louis RCGA

Local Host Committee

A local St. Louis host committee will be identifi ed to help implement this Congress. The local host committee will be made up of infl uential and knowledgeable leaders in St. Louis. This committee will inform Partners on pertinent local issues, possible speakers and panel members, and potential locations to host the Congress and other events. The committee will also help with local promotion of the event, solicit in-kind donations, and essentially serve as the on-the-ground team for the planning and ex-ecution for the Congress.

Audience

While we expect a large contingent of local St. Louis leaders to participate in the Con-gress, we also hope to draw a large portion of the attendees from all across the Unit-ed States and abroad. Participants will be encouraged to come in regional teams that include representatives of the business community, arts and culture, philanthropy and the public sector. It is our intention that teams return to their home bases prepared to take steps—large or small.

The Congress will target Mayors and other Elected Offi cials; Urban Researchers/Thinkers; Business Executives; City Managers; Community and Grassroots Leaders; City Planners; Policy Makers/Legislators; Non-Profi t Organizations; Cultural Advo-cates; Entrepreneurs; Arts Organizations; Trade Associations; and more.

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The Event

From Partners for Livable Communities’ experience in conference planning, we expect an event of high caliber to last between two and a half to four days. With the guidance of the local St. Louis Host Committee, a central venue will be selected that embraces the image of St. Louis while accommodating the pro-gramming. We will also ensure that special off-site events are held in esteemed cutting-edge venues in St. Louis.

Getting the Word Out

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This Congress is an opportunity for many di-verse participants and organizations to gather together to learn from each other in the world class setting of St. Louis. Marketing and promo-tion of the Congress will include outreach to speakers, participants, sponsors, co-sponsors, and the media.

Promotional GoalsThe promotion of this Congress has three goals:1) To reach the leaders/organizations working on the themes related to the Congress and convince them that this Congress in St. Louis is world-class, innovative, and not to be missed. To carry this out we must fi nd ways to reach this audience and keep them informed and hyped up so that they not only attend, but spread the word through their networks.

2) To better inform the general public, sponsors, and other related organizations that the ideas and concept behind the Congress are unique and valuable to today’s changing world.

3) To highlight St. Louis as the showcase city by informing attendees, sponsors, and co-spon sors about the City’s success stories relating to the theme’s of the Congress.

Marketing, Promotion and Outreach

Promotional ActivitiesThe primary promotional activities include:

� Securing and engaging co-sponsor organizations

� “Getting the Word Out” through press releases

� E-Alerts/national and international

Securing and Engaging Co-Sponsor OrganizationsOver the last thirty years, Partners has worked with many groups that have used the theme of “livability” to defi ne their value to communities—be it in environment, economic development, so-cial, design, or planning. We called this network the Livability Coalition. Each of the members of the Livability Coalition is a resource that can be tapped into for this Congress.

We have identifi ed the thirty most relevant and well-known organizations to serve as non-mon-etary ‘co-sponsors’ for this Congress. These co-sponsors will include national civic organiza-tions with a strong overall message of community livability, promotion of regionalism, and the bet-terment of life for all people.

We will ask each of these organizations to bring a delegation of their key leaders (both staff and Board leadership). We will also contact them regarding which programs of theirs may be rel-evant to our event and encourage them to bring representatives from these programs to actively discuss and engage with other attendees and speakers.

American Association of Museums American Chamber of Commerce Executives American College of Sports Medicine American Institute of Architects American Planning Association Americans for the Arts Brookings Institution Center for Community Change CEOs for Cities Citistates Group Comedia (UK) Congress for the New Urbanism Creative Clusters (UK) International City/County Management Association (ICMA) International Downtown Association (IDA) International Economic Development Council (US) Local Initiatives Support Coalition Mayor’s Institute on City Design National Association of Counties National Association of Regional Councils National Congress for Community Economic Development: National League of Cities National Trust for Historic Preservation PolicyLink Project for Public Spaces Smart Growth America Trust for Public Land UNESCO Bangkok and the Asia Pacifi c Region Urban Institute Urban Land Institute US Conference of Mayors

Target Organizations

25Partners will ask each organization to: • Allow use of the organization’s name and brand in advertising support of the Congress.• Ensure that staff, associates, membership, and other networks are aware of this conference and will actively promote it. Examples might be sending out a mailing, posting Congress information on websites, or adding Congress information to organization’s publications and newsletters.

• Work with media contacts related to the organization to get the word out about this Congress.

• Provide feedback on the conference’s developing agenda and issue areas.

• Nominate and provide contacts for speakers and presenters who could best captivate the audiences on the Congress issues, and who would have inter- esting stories and ideas to share.

‘Getting the Word Out’ through Press ReleasesPartners will create timely press releases for the media that will include dialogue on the uniqueness of the event, key speaker profi les, and event updates. These press re-leases will be coordinated for maximum impact with other important news associated with the themes of the Congress.

In addition to the national, local and regional daily publications that will be distributed, we will disseminate information through other publications/newsletters that are directly related to the overall content of the event. Some of these relevant outlets include:

• Citistates Group: The Citistates Group is a network of journalists, speakers and civic leaders focused on building competitive, equitable and sustainable 21st century metropolitan regions. The Group’s forte is communications -- using its journalistic, speaking and facilitation skills to stimulate active debate on the real-world choices facing 21st century American regions. (Citiwire.net and Citistates Reports: co-founder and principal Neil Peirce is on Partners’ Board of Trustees)

• Governing Magazine: Governing is a monthly magazine whose primary audi- ence is state and local government offi cials: governors, legislators, mayors, city managers, council members and other elected, appointed and career offi cials. The magazine has a circulation of about 85,000. Besides public offi cials, its readers include journalists, academics, companies that provide products and services for government, and involved citizens with an interest in the govern- ments closest to them. (Former Editor Peter Harkness is on Partners’ Board of Trustees)

• Nation’s Cities Weekly: Nation’s Cities Weekly is a weekly magazine produced by the National League of Cities. The publication provides coverage and analy- sis of social and political science, especially as it relates to civic matters.

• Planetizen: Planetizen is a public-interest information exchange provided by Urban Insight for the urban planning, design and development community. They have news on the site that is updated several times a day, an email news letter that goes out twice a week, and an announcement section.

27E-News Alerts

We will create two different newsletters to keep people updated and excited about what is going on with the planning of the Congress.

The initial E-News Alert will be directed to the local Congress steering committee members and sponsoring/co-sponsoring organizations with updated information on the Congress. This newsletter will go out every other month and include the following items:

1) Congress Updates: Good news (i.e. confi rmation of speakers, registrants, new co-sponsor organizations, Congress in the news, etc)2) “Theme” in the News: News articles from around the world related to the themes and what is going on in St. Louis 3) Current Issues: It will raise issues about the Congress and ask for input, feed back, or suggestions on particular points

The second E-News Alert will be created when registration opens and will include ev-eryone from above as well as individuals who have expressed interest in the event, all registrants, and all speakers for the event. We will also encourage the sponsoring and co-sponsoring organizations to send this newsletter out to their associates and mem-bers, or to expand on the material from the newsletter for one of their own publica-tions. This newsletter will be distributed monthly and will be developed around items one and two above.

Bells and Whistles: Make the Event Sing (and Dance)!

st. louis

29An International OpportunityAlthough engaging local resources is a vital element of any effort to advance the liv-ability and quality of life agendas in St. Louis, the strengthening of international relation-ships is becoming increasingly important to local prosperity and equity. Investing in ties with other cities worldwide can not only improve local economies but can also lead to social and cultural benefi ts. While St. Louis already has in place a number of interna-tional associations, a grand gathering of leadership from around the world will reinforce existing relationships and provide opportunities to forge new global connections.

As the pace of globalization quickens, regions that choose to remain isolated from the exchange of labor, skills, technology, innovations, and goods quickly fall behind in the worldwide marketplace. The economic benefi ts of international trade are enormous and cities that seize opportunities to create and strengthen these unions will quickly move to the forefront as hubs of global commerce and highly skilled workforces. Of course, with the fl ow of goods and services, business models and investments, comes the exchange of people, ideas, art, architecture, fashion, food, music, and cus-toms. These cultural imports and exports have a great impact on quality of life and can enrich local events and sense of place. The Festival dei Due Mondi (Festival of the Two Worlds), held in Spoleto, Italy each year, is a month-long festival of performances and visual arts. The “Two Worlds” in the name of the festival comes from its association with the Spoleto Festival USA, held concurrently in Charleston, South Carolina. Celebrations and exchanges of American and European culture mark the month of June in both cities.

The city of Geneva in Switzerland, Torino, Italy, and Lyon, France collaborated to form the Alpine Triangle, a partnership aimed at boosting tourism and enhancing the economic potential of each city. These types of affi liations are not uncommon and have been pro-moted through programs such as the Sister Cities organization, of which St. Louis is a member. An international Congress showcasing St. Louis as a global model of a livable region will fortify these reciprocal relationships and offer possibilities for new endeavors. Lyon, France is a particularly strong ally to St. Louis and is one with which Partners for Livable Communities has a 20-year working relationship.

A joint celebration between St. Louis and Lyon would be an excellent opportunity for collaboration and bursts of economic and cultural activity. Lyon currently hosts a num-ber of spectacular events including the Lyon Dance Biennial which celebrates the art of contemporary dance for 25 days. The most recent festival, held throughout Septem-ber of 2008, attracted 42 companies from 19 different countries and more than 84,000 people attended performances throughout the city; the traditional Défi lé parade drew over 350,000 spectators. The festival engages local citizens through wide-spread cho-reography instruction, ending in over 30,000 residents welcoming the festival with a coordinated dance in the streets of Lyon.

Inviting leadership from Europe, specifi cally groups from Lyon and their connections in Geneva and Torino, to discuss the impacts of art and culture on local quality of life can lead to wonderful opportunities for St. Louis. As sister cities, Lyon and St. Louis could embark upon a joint venture similar to those that take place between Spoleto and Charleston. The Lyon Dance Biennial could correspond to a great cultural event taking place in the heart of St. Louis, celebrating local and French culture and reaching out to thousands of residents.

A Congress of this nature can also help further the “St. Louis Big Idea with China.” Leaders and entrepreneurs from regions throughout China will be invited to attend the Congress, including those from the Midwest China Hub Commission and the China In-vestment Promotion Agency. By presenting St. Louis as an international nucleus of so-cial and economic exchange, as a city focused on improving livability for all residents, Partners can advance St. Louis’ agenda of becoming China’s freight and commercial hub.

To reinforce the brand of St. Louis as a lively center of diversity and commerce, the cul-tural, culinary, and arts communities within the city can be engaged to create a celebra-tion that would occur in conjunction with the Congress. A joint event of this kind would attract a great deal of media, multiplying the impact of this already prominent gathering. This is an ideal time for St. Louis to embrace arts and culture as international bridges to economic and social prosperity and establish itself as global leader in quality of life for all.

31Brand the Next Generation of Livability around St. Louis!Partners expects that by the end of the Congress, the innovative speakers and attendees will have identifi ed the key cutting edge issues that will defi ne the next generation of livability in metro regions. Partners can compile these comprehensive ideas into a document or product that would rely on St. Louis as the key identifi er. Examples might include the St. Louis Resolution, the St. Louis Strategy, the St. Louis Livability Agenda, the St. Louis Standards, etc.

Inaugurate the Grand Alliance & Partners New Defi nition of a Livable Community!Partners is in conversations with a number of organizations such as AARP, Asset-Based Community Development Institute, Project for Public Spaces, Smart Growth America, PolicyLink, and the American College of Sports Medicine to put together a ‘Grand Alliance’ of organizations that address livability around a number of key issues such as equity, ageless communities, and sustainability. These orga-nizations will endorse and continually update a set of Principles of Livability, of which the fi rst version could be announced at the St Louis event as the peak of over 30 years of Partners’ work on livability.

Partners would also inaugurate the National Livability Test, which will be based on the new Principles of Livability and result in the next America’s Most Livable Communities Awards program. As host of these announcements, Partners would bestow an honorary “Most Livable Community” title on the St. Louis region.

Create a Lasting Publication to Guide the Future of Metro Regions!To coincide with the event, Partners could publish a comprehensive piece on the themes and lessons from the event that would set a course for the next generation of livability that would be co-authored by Partners and St Louis RCGA President Richard C. D. Fleming. This publication would go in depth on each of the issues, recount the wisdom shared by esteemed speakers, and have a special section on the progress St. Louis has made on these cutting-edge issues.

Host an International Bridge Builders Awards Ceremony!After its 10th annual Bridge Builders Award Ceremony in 2008, Partners is looking to widen the scope of its awards, previously sponsored by Anheuser-Busch, to potential international honorees and forge a new relationship with Anheuser-Busch InBev. This event in 2011 could provide a perfect platform for St. Louis to host the beginning of the next generation of Bridge Builders Awards, with an award being presented to one of St. Louis’ fi nest public-private partnerships, to be chosen by the local host commit-tee.

Bring Together the Full Livability Coalition!Partners has a network of over 100 groups dedicated to Livability. A decade ago, this group met and determined that Aging In Place would be the next big livability issue. During the event, Partners could host a special gathering of its Livability Coalition to lay out the next decade of top livability priorities, titled the “St. Louis Livability Agenda.”

More Opportunities from Partners

Partners and St. Louis: Natural AlliesPartners for Livable Communities has a long history with the St. Louis region and has been inte-gral in highlighting major accomplishments, partnerships, and key assets that the city has worked hard to create. Additionally, we have had a ten year plus relationship with Anheuser Busch as the principal underwriter of our acclaimed Annual Bridge Builders Awards.

Three local heroes have served or currently serve on Partners’ Board: Richard C.D. Fleming, President & CEO, St. Louis Regional Chamber & Growth Association, Former St. Louis Mayor Vince Schoemehl, and Anthony Jones, Senior Group Director, Community Outreach, Anheuser Busch.

St. Louis has participated in many of Partners’ multi-year theme programs that have been monu-mental in defi ning livability over the last twenty-fi ve years. The city joined Partners and thirty-six cities in 1985 to explore the Economics of Amenities --- how amenities and the quality of life in a community are linked to economic development and job creation. The results of that initiative became the foundation of how creativity and livability is measured and valued in cities around the world.

In 1988, St. Louis once again teamed up with an illustrious group of cities and Partners to broaden the defi nition of livability in the Shaping Growth in America program which added a human dimen-sion, focusing on social equity, children and families, minorities and the poor. One of the lessons of Shaping Growth has been that the sum of people, jobs, place, leadership and fi nance are what make up the agenda for American communities.

Lastly, Partners for Livable Communities has had a fi fteen year relationship with Lyon, France through our European Exchange Center. Lyon and St. Louis are sister cities and since 1976 have continued to have a vibrant exchange of ideas and vision between these two dynamic regions.

Present a High-Ranking Member of the Obama Administration or Obama him-self in a Major Address on the State of Metro Regions!The year 2011 will be the perfect time for the new administration to refl ect on policy put in place to affect the relationship between cities, metro regions, states, and the federal government. What better place to host a ‘State of the American Metropolis’ than St. Louis, the heart of the country and one of the greatest turn-around stories of this millennium?

33The most recent program that St. Louis has participated in was Partners’ Creative City where St. Louis was one of seventeen communities that sought to maximize their assets to ensure a competitive posi-tion in the “new economy”. The culmination of the Creative City was a policy report documenting the results of the program thus providing a model for other communities.

Partners has honored many civic leaders from St. Louis for innovations and partnerships that have bet-tered the quality of life for the St. Louis region. In 2003, we honored Richard D. Baron, Co-Founder and CEO, McCormack Baron Salazar, Inc. and Stephanie Riven, Executive Director, Center for Contempo-rary Arts with our Bridge Builders Award for their efforts towards creating The Center for Contemporary Arts, which has become an exemplary site for affordable arts and education programs for youth and family in the St. Louis community. Special recognition was also extended to Mr. Baron for his 30-year commitment towards using culture and heritage as a bridge for community improvement in residential and commercial development of mixed income neighborhoods.

In 2006, Partners once again honored Downtown St. Louis with our Entrepreneurial American Commu-nity Award for their radical transformation from a downtown losing its spark to one that is thriving in the new millennium.

Most recently at Partners’ Tenth Anniversary Bridge Builders Awards program we honored Andrew Tay-lor, Chairman and CEO of Enterprise Rent-A-Car, for building a greener America by collaborating with numerous national partners on initiatives that make the company a leader in environmentally friendly programs and fuel-effi cient vehicles.

Partners Delivers!

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From Liverpool to Lyon and Pitts-burgh to New York City, Partners for Livable Communities has made a name for itself in delivering conferences of all sizes that bring together the full spectrum of civic stakeholders to join with stellar speakers and pan-elists. The common threads among the events are the potential to focus a national spotlight on the hosting community as well as explore pioneer-ing themes. The universal outcome has been a lasting value to the hosts.

timeline

1975 1981

Robert McNulty, President of Part-ners, served as Director of this con-ference which led to the creation of a task force that helped found Partners as the implementation vehicle for moving forward on the conference themes. The organization was incor-porated in 1977.

This national conference brought over 400 people from around the country with the unique factor that over 150 of them also served on the program. This event was seen as such a success in creating Partners that The Municipal Arts Society has just recently asked if Partners could organize a reunion of the distinguished people who in 1975 had looked at neighborhoods and neighborhood conservation in honor of Jane Jacobs at The Urban Center in Manhattan.

OUTCOME:• Founding of Partners for Livable Places (now Communities)• Creation of Neighborhood Conser-vation Week in New York City

Conference on Neighborhood ConservationSeptember 1975New York City, New York

This conference was an event between Partners for Livable Places and the Allegheny County Cultural Alliance with underwriting from major foundations in the Pittsburgh re-gion. The conference showcased Pittsburgh in a positive light as it was recovering from a decline in its employment base as a result of the shrinking steel industry and was looking to a new era to restructure its economy around technology, educa-tion and culture.

OUTCOME:• Cities around the country learned the potential returns from investing in the arts• Development of new agenda for integrating cultural and arts planning into the economic mainstream

The Arts Edge: Places and Spaces for the Arts in Civic Economics October 1981Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

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1984 1985

1987

This conference was an event hosted by the Mayor of San Antonio, Henry Cisneros, and a consortium of civil rights and equal opportu-nity groups from the Latino com-munity. The goal was to showcase the positive nature of the changing demographics facing America with a rising population of Spanish-speak-ing citizens and enduring labor force. The conference was underwritten almost 100% by corporations that were anxious to show their support of equity and an interest in the grow-ing Latino community.

OUTCOME:• Initiated a new seminar on ‘Industri-al Cities in Transition’ studying urban revitalization in a climate of chang-ing demographics and a changing economic model• Initiated a ‘Cities in Transition’ study tour of European cities to observe and discuss revitalization, job creation and partnership strate-gies to bolster economic growth and social well-being with a quickly evolving demographic and cultural context

Cities in Transition: Hispan-ics in America A Series of Forums on Cross-Cultural ConcernsMay 1984San Antonio, Texas

This conference was the culmina-tion of one of Partners’ multi-year theme programs, called “Economics of Amenities”, which discovered that urban prosperity can be achieved through investment in a community’s quality of life. This program was also tied to the belief that Indianapolis needed to come out of its “Indiano-where” mentality and discover that it was a dynamic city led by charis-matic mayor, Bill Hudnut, and that it had a private sector that was com-mitted to helping the city grow both economically and socially.

OUTCOME:• Indianapolis initiates a major investment strategy in sports and entertainment as part of a campaign to be seen as a world class city• Lilly Endowment generously sup-ports new campaign for Indianapolis’ redevelopment

City AssetsIndianapolis, IndianaApril 1985

The Lyon efforts were initiated in Oc-tober, 1987, looking at public-private partnerships in the region. Partners brought a group of Americans lead-ing the corporate, government and not-for-profi t sectors. They joined some 200 experts from throughout Europe in a gala event. Lyon at that time was a distressed city, suffer-ing from a great inferiority complex relating to Paris. It was grimy and dirty and was not known as a leader in city livability. However, Lyon and Partners worked together to launch a series of programs highlighting the leadership of Lyon and its region. Partners served as secretariat and manager for the international event, guiding the distinguished guests toward an appreciation for Lyon’s potential. Of particular interest was its relationship with Torino, Italy and Geneva, Switzerland. Known as the Alpine Diamond, these three cities in three countries form a unique part-nership, supporting one another’s industries and people.

OUTCOME:• Lyon and the Rhone-Alps region continue to strengthen a legacy of cooperation and a reputation for quality urban environments• Community livability agenda is evi-dently unbound by political borders

New Design for Urban Im-provements through Public/Private PartnershipsLyon, FranceOctober 1987

1992 1999

The Renewable American Com-munity Conference was tied to the culmination of a theme program called Shaping Growth in American Communities. It was seen by Orlan-do as an important national forum to change Orlando’s image from a bed-room community for the guests and employees of theme parks in Disney and universal studios to the crown jewel community of central Florida. A city unique in its great architecture, quality of life, superb neighbor-hoods, and dynamic leadership, Orlando built a sense of civic pride around this gathering. This confer-ence was 100% sponsored by the city of Orlando and by Florida area philanthropy including Walt Disney, which was interested in showcasing Orlando and its leadership.

OUTCOME:• Conference lessons become best practices model for communities around the country• Orlando begins era on the national fore as ‘The City Beautiful’ and the City Livable with exemplary commu-nity leaders

Crossing the Line was the culmination of collaboration with Governing maga-zine, working with a number of jurisdic-tions and the Department of Housing and Urban Development to defi ne the best strategies for regional coopera-tion. Hosting this working session was Shelby County, TN, home to Memphis and corporate citizens including Federal Express. Fred Smith of FedEx served as keynote speaker. Along with the County and the City of Memphis, FedEx underwrote this conference at nearly $ 250,000. This event was unique in that three Governors from three states (TN, MS, AK) joined upon invitation from the County Executive. They discussed how as adjacent states they could bet-ter collaborate on a regional agenda that crossed lines, while building upon the undeniable asset of a major urban area (i.e. Memphis). Partners served as national secretariat and conference developer.

OUTCOME:• Follow-up publication presenting the lessons learned by local offi cials from around the country• Series of regional forums spurred by the initial event and follow-up publication help regions develop their own regional cooperative strategies• Theme is adopted by Andrew Cuomo, Secretary of the Department of Hous-ing and Urban Development, holding a conference supported by the outcomes of this event

Crossing the Line: National Leadership Forum on Regional Strategies Memphis, TennesseeOctober 1999

The Renewable American Community Conference: Local Solutions to Nation-al ProblemsOrlando, FloridaMay 1992

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2005 2006

This second Cities in Transition event was the catalyst for a national multi-year agenda highlighting the opportunities for growth and vital-ity around Asian Pacifi c Islander American communities. The confer-ence focused on culture and heri-tage, leadership, empowerment and community development. Partners served as conference developer, serving the City of Houston, the Asian Pacifi c American Institute for Congressional Studies, and the local committee by raising funds nationally and locally, and integrating cultural heritage groups with community development efforts.

OUTCOME:• Houston has widely been accepted as a model for building civic pride around its Asian Pacifi c Islander community• “Blueprint for Action” developed to help local offi cials understand that diversity truly is a civic asset

This conference was a major com-ing-out party for Charlotte who had suffered the reputation of being a small Southern town, not yet ready for the ‘big time’. USA today gave front page coverage on the day of the conference on just this topic. This conference marked the fi rst step toward a more integrated un-derstanding of livability, highlighting four themes: Amenities, Creativity, Equity and Sustainability. Business, banking and arts joined environmen-tal and community organizations from within and outside the com-munity to celebrate Charlotte as a model for fast-growing global cities.

OUTCOME:• Charlotte’s mayor and other com-munity leaders helped to highlight Charlotte to both press and partici-pants at the event as both a global city and a livable community• Attending community leaders were exposed fi rst-hand to examples of a more integrated livability agenda

Cities in Transition: Asian Pacific Islander Americans …An Asset for America’s FutureHouston, TexasSeptember 2005

Cultivating Creative Communities: Local Solutions for Global SuccessCharlotte, North CarolinaOctober 2006

Making it Happen: The Business Plan

PHASE I: Pre-Congress DevelopmentPhase I is the largest phase and is divided into 3 parts: Concept Development, Creating the Team, and Program & Agenda Development.

Concept Development (2 months)Partners will work with the initial local team and funders to identify the purpose and framework of the congress, as well as the targeted audience, goals for the local community, and out-comes. This may include: • Propose themes for Congress and give background on each• Propose structure for engagement of speakers and participants• Propose a working title for the Congress• Propose the duration for the Congress (days) and work to identify a date for event• Create a sample agenda for the Congress• Identify whether there will be any pre/post conversations or products• Identify key issues the Congress should focus on and possible talking points for certain sessions• Preliminarily identify key speakers to get Congress on their radar• Identify key local and national sponsors• Re-Evaluate strategy for next 3 phases

Creating the Team (1 month)Partners will work with the initial local team and funders to identify key stakeholders in St. Louis to help serve as local hosts and boosters for the region. This group will be made up of maybe 15 civic leaders with various backgrounds representing the diverse themes of the Con-gress. Partners will provide the group with updated materials as the Congress development gets underway for the leaders to use in their outreach. The group will meet on a regular basis and will: • Coordinate local fundraising efforts• Provide agenda feedback• Provide recommendations for and assistance in planning local activities and evening events • Seek and establish business relationships to benefi t the Congress• Raise community participation

Program & Agenda Development (12 months)Partners will take the feedback from the Concept Development stage and incorporate it into a new agenda and discussions of themes. Half way through this stage, there should be enough material to formally market the Congress to funders, co-sponsors, and participants. This stage will include: • Defi ne the themes of the Congress• Formalize structure for engagement of speakers and participants• Finalize a working title of the Congress• Finalize date and duration of the Congress • Formalize the agenda for the Congress• Solidify key issues the Congress should focus on • Finalize the structure for any pre/post Congress conversation or products• Create list of prospective speakers/participants to invite to attend Congress• Invite key speakers to attend (to anchor their attendance at the Congress)

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PHASE II: Promotion of CongressPhase II is divided into 2 parts: Fundraising and Marketing the Congress. This is the most important stage as it will dictate the success of the event by determining what speak-ers/participants attend and the amount of sponsor dollars that can be raised to make the Congress a fi rst-class event.

Fundraising (12 months)Partners will work closely with the local team to provide them with the appropriate materi-als and letters that can be used to solicit local sponsorship dollars around certain events/themes at the Congress. Partners will also work the national circuit to identify national foundations and companies to solicit as general or thematic sponsors of the Congress.

This stage will also be a time to fi nalize the budget and identify all the “bells & whistles” of the event and how much needs to be raised to accomplish this with success.

Marketing the Congress (8 months)Marketing the Congress will include both outreach to speakers/participants, cosponsors, and the media. All Congress material will need to be in a format for easy distribution both in print and online. The goal of the promotion stage will be to publicize the Congress to a national audience. Partners will work with the local team to: • Write and circulate press releases and press kits• Develop Congress identity, logo and other design elements• Work with designer to create: • save-the-date cards • Congress online/website • brochures • sponsorship solicitation • Mail all information and promotion materials• Invite all speakers and panelists and confi rm their participation

43PHASE III: Congress CoordinationPhase III is centered on the organizing of the Logistics for the Congress (7 months) and the Coordination (5 days) at the actual event. This phase entails:• Securing all venue logistics• Catering for all breakfasts, lunches and dinners• A/V expenses• Room rentals• Arrange for minutes of Congress• Transportation during congress• Securing all speakers• Collect speaker bios and papers• Coordinate with speakers to determine their needs for the Congress and assist in devel oping presentations that are relevant and interesting• Make sure all honorarium, lodging and travel expenses have been fi nalized• Create Congress team of staff members for event as support staff• Work with St. Louis leadership to ensure the quality of the Congress• Manage the documentation of Congress sessions and program

PHASE IV: Post-Congress Follow up(1 month)Phase IV is designed to conclude the Congress with some steps of action. This could include: • Send thank you notes to all speakers • Make sure all honorarium, lodging and travel expenses have been paid• Edit and distribute materials from Congress• Develop and produce post-Congress materials (declaration/website/publication/ activities)• Market/brand event and St. Louis’ leadership

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