Moving Downtown
St. Louis Forward
Focused leadership and coordinated action
to revitalize Downtown St. Louis
OUR PURPOSE
Downtown Forward is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization dedicated to revitalizing the Downtown and Downtown West neighborhoods in St. Louis, which we collectively call “Downtown St. Louis” or just “Downtown.” Our mission is to reverse years of systematic underperformance driven by fragmented leadership and efforts, service gaps, and often dysfunctional governmental systems. We aim to take on these issues other civic organizations and governmental agencies have not addressed and deliver the focused, consistent leadership that Downtown deserves.
OUR FOCUS
Public Safety &
Perception
Improving safety, confidence, and the experience downtown
Coordinated Civic Leadership
Aligning stakeholders to fill leadership and coordination gaps
Economic & Community Vitality
Supporting growth, small businesses, and downtown activity
Downtown Is at a Turning Point
Downtown St. Louis is at a critical moment. Persistent safety issues, negative regional perceptions, and a lack of coordinated action have fueled what national media has called a “doom loop.” We plan on improving the security environment, strengthening government performance, improving regional perceptions of Downtown, and aggressively advocating for it. In coordination with other civic organizations and stakeholders, we will break the downward cycle and instead foster a virtuous cycle driving Downtown forward into a prosperous and exciting future.
“Cities have the capability of providing something for everybody, only because, and only when, they are created by everybody.”
-Jane Jacobs