urbanSTL

dbInSouthCity wrote: ↑

12:46 PM - 1 day ago

There is really not good way to do downtown to downtown comps that make sense.  For example: here is downtown KC overlaid(orange) with downtown STL.  More people visit the downtown STL boundary then they visit the kc one despite it being 6sq miles vs 2 here

Through March, downtown neighborhood had less than 1 crime against a person per day (most between parties having a dispute) and 3 crimes per day against property; car, building, etc.  

Downtown west had 1 against a person almost every other day and 3 a day against property.  

So with that in mind, consider that daily there is 11,000 residents, 40-60,000 workers and on a week like this 20,000-25,000 visitors for robotics, conferences, tourists.     So average day this week had 75,000 people in downtown and downtown west and 1.5 crimes against a person (again between people that know each other) and 6 crimes against property.

And the people who say “I don’t feel safe” would say there is 4 murders, 18 shootings and 25 car jackings a day (btw, downtown has had 1 car jacking through March). There is nothing that can be done to fix that kind of stupid

soulardx wrote: ↑

2:21 PM - 1 day ago

dbInSouthCity wrote: ↑

12:46 PM - 1 day ago

There is really not good way to do downtown to downtown comps that make sense.  For example: here is downtown KC overlaid(orange) with downtown STL.  More people visit the downtown STL boundary then they visit the kc one despite it being 6sq miles vs 2 here

Through March, downtown neighborhood had less than 1 crime against a person per day (most between parties having a dispute) and 3 crimes per day against property; car, building, etc.  

Downtown west had 1 against a person almost every other day and 3 a day against property.  

So with that in mind, consider that daily there is 11,000 residents, 40-60,000 workers and on a week like this 20,000-25,000 visitors for robotics, conferences, tourists.     So average day this week had 75,000 people in downtown and downtown west and 1.5 crimes against a person (again between people that know each other) and 6 crimes against property.

And the people who say “I don’t feel safe” would say there is 4 murders, 18 shootings and 25 car jackings a day (btw, downtown has had 1 car jacking through March). There is nothing that can be done to fix that kind of stupid

two things here.

1) Would it be wise to sharply consolidate the parts of downtown that STL subsidizes/invests in?  I mean, the Arch is about equidistant to Soulard Market and Lafayette Square than it is to Enterprise Park.  Yet, the Arch and EP are in "downtown."  So, should we focus nearly ALL investment/subsidy from the river west to only 14th (not Jefferson), south to only 64 (not Chouteau), north to only Washington (not Delmar).  Cut "downtown" by like 2/3. I can't say I like this, as it will only weaken the link between downtown and surrounding neighborhoods, but limited investment/subsidy $$ demands we prioritize. 

2). I'm beating a dead horse here but "feeling safe" is not about reported violent crime. it's about overly aggressive street people, drug addicts, the apocalyptic vibe of vacant buildings like the Railway Exchange, and car cloutings. Excessive disorder. While I spent much of my life dismissing suburbanites who kept yammering about "not feeling safe" because the data showed otherwise, it's the disorder. it's always been the disorder. 

GoHarvOrGoHome wrote: ↑

2:39 PM - 1 day ago

I would love for downtown to include the Soulard Farmer's Market, it's not even that far fetched. If we can find a way to properly develop the 4th/Broadway/7th street corridors going south it would become functionally connected. Similar to how KC's is connected to their downtown. 

GoHarvOrGoHome wrote: ↑

2:39 PM - 1 day ago

I would love for downtown to include the Soulard Farmer's Market, it's not even that far fetched. If we can find a way to properly develop the 4th/Broadway/7th street corridors going south it would become functionally connected. Similar to how KC's is connected to their downtown. 

GoHarvOrGoHome wrote:We should be doing both, downtown absolutely needs to be strengthened from within, but it is still largely an island that needs to be stitched back into our greater urban fabric. IMO the areas between and Chouteau and 64 + Lucas and Cole area nearly as important to downtown vibrancy as the downtown core itself.