Designed By:

Mildly influenced by the ULI ASP report discussed in the previous episode, co-host Jayvn created Loutopia's very first workshop that the pod was also part of: The Free City Collab. In this episode, we talk about our fun and mildly-hectic experiences of the day, Hogwarts houses are discussed, maturing our societal culture, and poorly-placed pairs of scissors.

Of course, there's always more, but we'll leave you to it :)

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Season 1 of DesignedBy: may be done, but the work sure aint!

Recently, a report was released by a panel of international real estate, placemaking, and urban planning experts that recommends how St. Louis can improve the heart of our downtown district. Here are 10 general takeaways that this report emphasizes:

• Transformation into a Central Social District: Downtown St. Louis should pivot from a central business district to a central social district focused on culture, creativity, and community engagement
• Economic and Cultural Resilience: Emphasize the creation of a diverse, mixed-use district to enhance economic resilience and attract both residents and visitors
• Real Estate Strategy: Acquire key properties around the Gateway Mall to control and activate spaces, encouraging cultural and economic activity
• Equitable Development: Focus on inclusive economic development by involving BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, and People of Color) communities in ownership and decision-making processes to create long-term community wealth
• Public and Private Collaboration: Establish partnerships with various stakeholders, including public entities and private developers, to support the district’s transformation and ensure sustained investment and programming.
• Activation and Programming: Implement a consistent schedule of events and activations to keep the area vibrant and engaging throughout the year
• Placemaking and Placekeeping: Utilize placemaking strategies to create spaces that are inviting, safe, and culturally rich, ensuring they reflect the community's history and diversity
• Community Involvement: Engage local artists, entrepreneurs, and residents in the planning and activation processes to ensure the district meets the needs and desires of the community
• Enhanced Public Spaces: Improve the streetscape and pedestrian experience to make downtown more walkable and bike-friendly, enhancing connectivity and accessibility
• Long-term Vision and Planning: Adopt a phased approach to development, starting with temporary activations that can evolve into permanent fixtures, creating a sustainable and dynamic urban environment

Any of this sound familiar :) ? Since it's easy to rely on reports without action, we put this to the test -- we dove into a workshop, created by one of our co-hosts and supported by the other,  in which we examine how to use the takeaways from this report to galvanize our community to start doing some really cool stuff in, with, and for the city of St. Louis.

THIS episode is part 1 :)

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Ever wonder how you can get your neighborhood trash can painted?

Have you ever thought about who's planning out your neighborhood or city?

This time around, we're talking about these things and more with Catherine Hamacher of PGAV Planners. We all love St. Louis on this show so, while we talk about the specifics of her career path, we spend a lot of time relating this to St. Louis. Really interesting stuff actually, you should listen & share :)

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-- Part 2 of Episode 9--

The US is great at a lot of sports but somehow we just don't seem to consistently do well in Soccer (football). Why is that?

This is a question we explore with our friends Travis Winn & Daniel Flynn, creators of an initiative called "Free the Game". Their mission is to liberate the game of soccer from a system in which it costs way too much money to play with not enough reward in America. The theory: If kids have unlimited access to the game, then they'll be great at it. Stars like Lionel Messi, Zinedine Zidane, and more are true testaments to this.

There's a key distinction with Free The Game as well as Calle, The brand under which Free The Game lives: Art and creativity needs to be incorporated at all times. With Courts in Salt Lake City and St. Louis, they're well on the way to doing something truly remarkable!

Take a listen to this episode to learn more and check out their website here :)

FREE THE GAME

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The US is great at a lot of sports but somehow we just don't seem to consistently do well in Soccer (football). Why is that?

This is a question we explore with our friends Travis Winn & Daniel Flynn, creators of an initiative called "Free the Game". Their mission is to liberate the game of soccer from a system in which it costs way too much money to play with not enough reward in America. The theory: If kids have unlimited access to the game, then they'll be great at it. Stars like Lionel Messi, Zinedine Zidane, and more are true testaments to this.

There's a key distinction with Free The Game as well as Calle, The brand under which Free The Game lives: Art and creativity needs to be incorporated at all times. With Courts in Salt Lake City and St. Louis, they're well on the way to doing something truly remarkable!

Take a listen to this episode to learn more and check out their website here :)

FREE THE GAME

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Whether it's the gatekeepers, lack of support, or otherwise, STL can be tough nut to crack if you wanna bring something new to life. So Brock Seals said f**** it, let's just do it ourselves. 

As a multi-faceted artist, Brock blurs the line between music, painter, and designer. From large collaborations to community building (Art Mimosas and Pancakes anyone??) events, it's hard not to see him impacting something for the better in this town.
 

Stay with us for the whole ep for a super special secret guest appearance  👀

Be sure to check out @artmimosaspancakes on IG -- maybe if you're lucky, there will still be a ticket (or two) left. 

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Hot take: AI can be your best friend and your best tool. 

From having it fully integrated into your daily routine to only using it for specific tasks/occasions, we can't deny that AI is here to stay. The question is, how use it without letting it take over our jobs?

We end our series of Sasha's Sessions with a chat about how fast AI has grown and what we all use it for, as well as how important innovation is regardless of the tools we use to manifest our ideas. We're still in a constant will-they-won't-they struggle with where AI fits into our lives, but we certainly aren't short on opinions about what it all means. 

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Sam Smugala is a powerhouse leader in St. Louis who's always busy and always kicking ass. Sometimes she balances her work, her life, and her side hustles/passions perfectly and sometimes she's still trying to figure it out like the rest of us. TLDR: We're all (not so) secretly still working on it, but we still get shit done. 

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If you're an OG fan, you'll remember one of our first interviews was with Samantha Smugala, talking about Creative Mornings. Since that release, we've stayed friends with Sam and have worked with her professionally so many times -- from Loutopia to Design Week, she's been involved in everything. 

Fast forward 4 years and she's now the Executive Director of the East Loop Community Improvement District and the founder of Pocket Parks. We hung out (with our podcast equipment) at one of our favorite spots to reminisce and talk about journeys and destinations.  

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It only took Jayvn going to SXSW to realize that St. Louis isn't just an arts town to us locals -- lots of other folks agree! From SXSW in Austin, TX to St. Louis Design Week, we're here to remind y'all what we're capable of 😎

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