Harland Bartholomew and racially informed zoning: the case of St. Louis

Abstract

This paper seeks to reexamine the racial questions that helped shape the comprehensive zoning proposals developed by Harland Bartholomew for St. Louis, Missouri, between 1916 and 1947. In addition to being one of the most productive urban planners in the US, Bartholomew also became a key reference for urban planning in São Paulo. The case of St. Louis is emblematic for its context of sharp racial territorial dispute, in which part of the white elite that politically supported the plans advocated the adoption of an urban residential segregation law. Thus, we analyze the plans made for St. Louis between 1918 and 1946, comparing its decisions to the racial strife present at each moment in the city. With this article, we aim to bring new elements to the public debate regarding zoning as a pertinent instrument for regulating the use and occupation of urban land.

Keywords:
Harland Bartholomew; urban racial segregation; comprehensive zoning; St. Louis City Plans; protection of property values