NGNS is committed to strengthening our community with dignity, creating a safe and welcoming place for our neighbors to live, work, and play. We look toward a future where residents join together to break the long‑standing cycles of poverty, violence, and neglect that have challenged our neighborhoods for decades. We envision a community that is healthy, sustainable, and vibrant — a place where people can thrive and take pride in the progress we have built together. 

Develop with Dignity began in 2008 in response to the growing wave of development in North St. Louis. It started with a coalition of local churches, rooted in the belief that these congregations serve as natural gathering places and anchors for their communities. The movement’s goal is to provide a framework for ethical, community‑centered development. While we welcome efforts to revitalize a once‑prosperous area, it is essential to honor the generations of families who have built their lives and homes here.

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To ensure development is both respectful and responsible, we ask that all developers commit to four guiding principles:

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1. Engage area residents and their elected officials when creating redevelopment plans.

2. Avoid the use of eminent domain on owner‑occupied properties.

3. Maintain existing properties so they do not become nuisances or safety hazards.

4. Give full consideration to creating and sustaining diverse communities.