The City of St. Louis Planning & Urban Design Agency is seeking proposals from professional consulting firms (or teams of firms) that have extensive experience in data analysis, scenario planning, strategic planning, goals and objective setting, and coordinating for implementation. The goal is to develop detailed neighborhood plans — rooted in holistic community engagement — that are formally adopted by the Planning Commission as supplements to the City's Comprehensive Plan. The process may result in one plan encompassing all neighborhoods within the Planning Area or plans for individual neighborhoods within the Planning Area. While neighborhoods in each Planning Area share certain characteristics and opportunities (e.g., institutions, parks, commercial corridors, etc.,), neighborhoods have unique and specific assets, communities and associations that will be recognized and built upon. It is expected the firms or teams of firms will conduct neighborhood-specific analysis for all neighborhoods in each Planning Area; however, commonalities between neighborhoods (e.g., transit or commercial corridors) should be considered in a coordinated manner. Parcel by parcel analysis will result in areas that may need to address opportunities such as former schools, larger brownfield sites, conversion of office or industrial, green space and parks that require investment to a level of service needed to produce and sustain programs, etc. The City is seeking consulting firms experienced in facilitation and management of a diverse means of engagement including pop-ups, town halls, holding neighborhood office hours, tactical urbanism pilot demonstrations, story-telling, and maps with interactive information and survey (geosurveys). Furthermore, the firms or teams of firms is expected to maintain knowledge of land use policies and funding mechanisms on a local, state, and federal level, funding as well as marketing, branding.

It is anticipated that the contract process will begin in April 2024, work will begin in July 2024 for Planning Area I, and the finished product would be considered for formal adoption by the City in August 2025. It is anticipated that the contract process will begin in April 2024, work will begin in September 2024 for Planning Area II and the finished product would be considered for formal adoption by the City in October 2025. It is anticipated that the contract process will begin in July 2024, work will begin in October 2024 for Planning Area III and the finished product would be considered for formal adoption by the City in November 2025.

Full RFP here: https://www.stlouis-mo.gov/government/departments/planning/documents/rfp-for-neighborhood-planning-consulting-services.cfm