We recently connected with Judith Arnold and have shared our conversation below.
Hi Judith, really happy you were able to join us today and we’re looking forward to sharing your story and insights with our readers. Let’s start with the heart of it all – purpose. How did you find your purpose?
In my pursuit of life’s purpose, education, experience, self-reflection, and guidance from others played a significant role. I learned the importance of choosing friends wisely and gained an understanding of the civil rights movement during my high school years. I was encouraged to stay informed by reading and keeping up with the news, which sparked a desire to contribute to the movement. My journey toward this began in college in small yet meaningful ways. I pursued a degree in American History and Urban Studies and further delved into law, political science, and economics. My studies transferred knowledge gained to improve the living conditions of underserved individuals in urban areas. As a student, I also assumed leadership roles as the Vice President of the student body where I was a member of the Board of Trustees and started a campus-sponsored childcare center, proactively addressing important needs and issues on campus. Then I went on to Urban Planning and Public Affairs studies, graduating with a Master’s Degree.
Thanks for sharing that. So, before we get any further into our conversation, can you tell our readers a bit about yourself and what you’re working on?
Judith is an Urban Planner working to break the “Delmar Divide.” When British Broadcast Corporation wrote a critical news story about north city neighborhoods, Judith set out to change this narrative by “championing” a 3.5-mile greenway on the Hodiamont Tracks. With a $45M budget, this greenway travels through seven under-resourced neighborhoods which include Covenant Blu-Grand Center, Vandeventer, Lewis Place, Fountain Park, Academy-Sherman Park, Visitation Park, and the West End, and connects to Brickline and St. Vincent Greenways. Judith continues working side-by-side with the Great Rivers Greenway developer and engaging residents from design to construction. A Concept Plan for the greenway was completed in 2021, embodying the community’s vision for how the proposed greenway should look and feel, setting the stage for current and ongoing detailed design and engineering. These seven neighborhoods are now experiencing unprecedented redevelopment. The Vandeventer Neighborhood documents $81M for commercial and residential projects. As the Vice President of Vandeventer Community Development Corporation, Judith focuses on the future of all neighborhoods. “This is a historic moment, as so many people are working to invest in redevelopment efforts.”
Judith has worked on public policy with the St Louis Association of Community Organizations. She is rooted in neighborhood vacancies. Her political abilities helped a successful resident-driven $40M municipal bond to stabilize vacant city-owned properties before reselling. Delmar has received help from this resource for new home buyers. Judith is also the originator of the Senior Tax Freeze which the governor signed into law last year, and the mayor signed this year. This new policy freezes the taxes of senior homeowners at its current level as redevelopment takes place. Judith merged her political science background with community development needs.
Delmar has also received help from AmeriCorps, a program that Judith directed. AmeriCorps members collected litter and currently care for 110 trees planted by the City’s Forestry Department. Together they organized more than 100 volunteers for the effort. Also, they painted a 180-foot vacant wall to welcome the Greenway on the Tracks. Delmar now has new blue trash containers at each bus stop and people can wait for the bus in a relatively clean area. These new additions increased commercial investments with new restaurants and retail creating the “Makers District” entertainment and destination location.
St. Louis Association of Community Organizations received a grant from the Robert Woods Johnson Foundation and Smart Growth America for Judith to tackle infrastructure needs on Delmar with neighborhoods on both sides of the divide. Judith’s role of community engagement and creating public-private partnerships, places the Delmar Corridor again in the public realm, with another future positive outcome; street calming, new street surfacing, new sidewalks, lighting, and redeveloped public spaces welcoming visitors into the residential neighborhoods.
Judith received the Life Time Achievement Award from the League of Women Voters in 2022. She is a member of the Millcreek Commemorative Committee and received a Resolution from the Board of Alderman in 2023. She also received the Women of Achievement Award in 2023 and is hopeful of a Missouri House Resolution this year for her work on the Senior Tax Relief Law. Judith was on the Steering Committee for the North Central Plan and is a founding member of the Delmar Collaborative of Washington University and has contributed to volumes of Segregation by Design, from the Sam Fox School of Architecture of Washington University.
There is so much advice out there about all the different skills and qualities folks need to develop in order to succeed in today’s highly competitive environment and often it can feel overwhelming. So, if we had to break it down to just the three that matter most, which three skills or qualities would you focus on?
It helps to have a well-rounded background. The three skills for any Urban Planner are the ability to ask questions of those you are serving, to align community responses to research, models, and best practices, and to act on community needs through policy and opportunities.
Before we go, maybe you can tell us a bit about your parents and what you feel was the most impactful thing they did for you?
From the age of five, I practiced and played the piano. This skill taught discipline, tenacity, and empowerment. My father was a professional jazz recording artist and wanted his children to master an instrument. So I went for it!
Contact Info:
- Website: https://vandeventercdc.org
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/judith.arnold.5070
