DUC Park - St. Louis, MO
HELPING A FORMER VACANT LOT TRANSFORM INTO A WELCOME BACKYARD FOR DOWNTOWN ST. LOUIS RESIDENTS
Yard & Co. was offered the opportunity to create an “Overnight Transformation” of a local pocket park in conjunction with the American Planning Association (APA) Missouri Chapter Conference in downtown St. Louis. In consultation with DUC Park’s operator, PocketParksSTL, Yard developed a plan to provide needed upgrades that could be built and installed by volunteers in just 24 hours.
The Yard team worked with PocketParksSTL volunteers to tackle the site’s larger construction needs on a weekday afternoon, setting the stage for conference attendees to plant flowers, set up tables and chairs, and paint a gateway sign the following morning.
Finishing on time and within the $5,000 budget, Yard shifted to event mode after volunteers returned to the conference. That evening, DUC Park hosted a Happy Hour reception for attendees to test the space’s design for leisure and events. Over 100 happy guests later, DUC Park passed the test with flying colors.
Services
Activation
Timeframe
2022
Client
PocketParksSTL
Location
Saint Louis, Missouri
PROBLEM
How could PocketParksSTL, which had cleaned up a former vacant lot and added a mural, transform a little-known pocket park that felt empty, exposed to sun during the day, and dark at night into a space residents would want to use?
SOLUTION
Develop an overnight transformation plan powered by volunteers attending the APA Missouri Conference just a few blocks away.
ACTION
Install vertical posts with planting wells for string lights and shade sails, added planters with colorful flowers, introduced movable furniture, and built a gateway sign patterned after the mural to create shade, lighting, and a clear sense of place.
