In the next ten years, Metro St. Louis can transform itself into a truly 21st-century metro that is powered by strong industry clusters, skilled workers, inclusive workplaces and a healthy urban core. The bi-state metro has the prerequisites for inclusive growth—now is the time to act. The vision for the St. Louis metro is no less ambitious—to be nationally recognized by 2030 as a leader on inclusive growth. Regularly tracking progress on the following five core priorities will inform implementation and keep the metro focused on this objective:
These priorities are grounded in our definition of inclusive growth, which calls for substantially increasing the number of quality jobs while reducing racial and spatial disparities in income, health and wealth.
5 Actionable Strategies
STEWARD AN INCLUSIVE ECONOMY
- Organize for inclusive growth with leadership and stewardship from Greater St. Louis, Inc.
- Organize and leverage regional anchors and other employers through the STL Pledge
- Organize a STL Capacity to Act Initiative to support critical elements of the STL 2030 Jobs Plan
RESTORE THE CORE AS THE VIBRANT JOBS AND CULTURAL CENTER OF THE METRO
This strategy builds on the Design Downtown STL plan and includes the following actions:
- Finish the Brickline Greenway
- Launch a Neighborhood Transformation Initiative to regenerate historically disinvested Black neighborhoods in the City of St. Louis
- Invest in existing and emergent Innovation Districts to drive inclusive growth
BUILD A WORLD-CLASS ECOSYSTEM FOR SMALL BUSINESSES & ENTREPRENEURS
- Embark on an Entrepreneurial Surge to increase the number and strength of locally owned businesses
- Establish a Supply STL initiative to leverage the inclusive growth potential of anchor institutions in the St. Louis metro
- Build a Small Business Support Collaborative to support the formation and expansion of Black-, Brown- and/or woman-owned small businesses
- Launch a Main Street STL effort to accelerate the revival of neighborhood business districts throughout the metro area
BECOME A TALENT ENGINE AND MAGNET
- Build Industry-Led Workforce Collaboratives that connect education and training to employers’ needs
- Jumpstart industry-led workforce development with a Talent Surge
- Strengthen STEM education and training throughout the St. Louis metro
MAKE THE ST. LOUIS METRO A HUB FOR NEXT-GENERATION INDUSTRIES AND TECHNOLOGIES
- Quadruple down on bioscience in order to supercharge this established industry cluster
- Implement the GeoFutures Strategic Roadmap and build a National Center for Location Sciences (NCLS) near Next NGA West
- Construct an Advanced Manufacturing Innovation Center (AMIC) to drive innovation and support area manufacturers
- Invest in multimodal freight infrastructure to strengthen the metro’s advantage in manufacturing and transportation and logistics
- Expand transit and digital access to better connect St. Louisans to opportunities no matter where they live
Find Out More
Updated STL 2030 Jobs Plan Released Following Extensive Community Feedback
The STL 2030 Jobs Plan is a living document that will evolve over the coming decade. Substantial work remains to create new capacities to drive forward key strategies recommended by Katz. The plan, including the foreword and an overview, can be found here.
About Greater St. Louis, Inc.
Greater St. Louis, Inc. is a 501(c)(6) organization of businesses formed through the merger of five private-sector led and St. Louis-focused economic development and civic leadership organizations on Jan. 1, 2021. The five combining organizations were AllianceSTL, Arch to Park, Civic Progress, Downtown STL, Inc., and the St. Louis Regional Chamber. Greater St. Louis, Inc. brings together the business community to help drive economic growth and create opportunities for all with a focus on inclusive growth. Greater St. Louis, Inc. is in a position to drive economic growth with a unified voice, a bold agenda, and as one St. Louis metropolitan area that is anchored by a vibrant urban core. Additional information is available at www.GreaterSTLinc.com.
