Great Rivers Greenway (GRG) is the St. Louis region’s public agency dedicated to developing a 600-plus-mile network of parks and greenways. The centerpiece of that emerging network is the Brickline Greenway, which will traverse fourteen St. Louis City neighborhoods, connecting north to south from Fairground Park to Tower Grove Park, and east to west from the Gateway Arch to Forest Park, with a mission to “...transform St. Louis by connecting people and our City’s most treasured places, creating inspiring experiences and equitable opportunities for growth.”

As part of a multidisciplinary design team led by SmithGroup, DTLS is collaborating on the design and development of the Brickline Greenway North Connector, a two-mile urban multi-use path that will connect North St. Louis with the City’s central corridor. Over four-plus years, the design process has engaged stakeholders and agencies on the federal, state, and local levels.

Most crucially, GRG and thedesign team have partnered with neighboring residents and businesses to ensure the greenway reflects the values and priorities of the community. This community-driven approach is exemplified by the decision to expand the greenway project to include the redesign of Grand Boulevard as a Complete Street with the aim of transforming one of the nation’s most hazardous streetsinto a welcoming and safe environment for pedestrians and cyclists.

DTLS has played key roles on the design team, ranging from community engagement, to signage and wayfinding, to landscape architectural design. When completed, the North Connector will add over two acres of new greenspaces, drawing upon Missouri-native plant communities to increase biodiversity, reduce urban heat and stormwater runoff, and encourage nature discovery.