Reimagine Downtown Saint Paul: Transforming the Core

Reimagine Update: Insights to Action

We are now moving into a focused period of synthesis and collaborative reimagining—turning community input into shared direction and next steps.

Community Survey Complete

The community survey has now closed, and participation was strong. More than 1,000 responses were submitted, offering valuable insight into how people experience Downtown Saint Paul and what they want to see in its future. Thank you to everyone who took the time to participate.

What’s Happening Now

We are actively analyzing and synthesizing survey results alongside input gathered through in-person engagement. This work is focused on identifying shared priorities, emerging opportunities, and areas where thoughtful design and investment can make the greatest difference.

What’s Next

Insights from this phase will directly inform an upcoming collaborative design sprint, bringing together public, private, and community partners to:

Test and refine priority ideas
Explore realistic, near-term scenarios for change
Develop clear, actionable recommendations to advance Downtown revitalization

This next phase is about turning community input into forward momentum.

Stay Engaged

We will continue to share updates as the work progresses. Your participation is helping shape a more vibrant, connected, and resilient Downtown Saint Paul.

Who’s leading the work

Reimagine Downtown Saint Paul: Transforming the Core is led by the Saint Paul Downtown Alliance (SPDA), in collaboration with:

Creative Catalysts - guiding strategy, facilitation, and the overall story of the project.
Mend Collaborative - leading public engagement and downtown design, with experience on similar downtown projects in cities including Houston, Denton, and Rochester.

SPDA will work closely with residents, businesses, institutional partners, and community organizations throughout the process to ensure that the future of the core is informed by those who know and care about downtown most.

Upcoming events

No events are currently scheduled. Check back soon for future opportunities to connect.

Reimagine Downtown Saint Paul Timeline

Reimagine Downtown Saint Paul is advancing through a clear, phased process—moving from broad community listening to collaborative design and refinement. With public engagement complete, the project is synthesizing insights and preparing for hands-on CoLabs to translate what we heard into visions, scenarios, and actionable pathways for Downtown’s future.

Timeline item 1 - complete

Phase 1: Discovery
- Community members, workers, visitors, and stakeholders shared ideas and experiences through surveys and engagement activities.
- Input was analyzed and translated into clear themes, opportunities, and key questions.
- These insights now serve as a shared foundation for the next phase of design work.
Timeline item 2 - active

Phase 2: Collaborative Design & Alignment
- Three one-day CoLabs will bring together diverse groups of design partners.
- Each group will work from the same community insights and address a shared design challenge.
- Participants will develop visions, real-world scenarios, and narratives that show how change could take shape.
- Each CoLab will generate recommendations to help guide future action.
Timeline item 3 - incomplete

Phase 3: Testing & Refinement
- Ideas from all CoLabs will be synthesized and compared.
- Shared priorities, differences, and points of alignment will be identified.
- The project team and advisory partners will refine the work into a clear, compelling direction.
- Final outputs will include visual assets and a report to support next-phase action and investment.

Resource library

Project documents and background will be uploaded here.

Contact us

Have questions or want to learn more about a project, contact us below:

Contact Information
Email	info@downtownstpaul.com
Website	downtownstpaul.com/about/