A rendering of the proposed stadium for the new St. Louis Major League Soccer team. | Courtesy HOK

A new proposal for the forthcoming St. Louis team showcases ?MLS urbanism? The city of St. Louis was awarded an expansion franchise for Major League Soccer (MLS) this past August. While the new owners of the league?s 28th team have yet to finalize the name and colors?they won?t begin playing until the 2022 season?they have announced what the team?s new home will look like. And, like many other recent, soccer-specific stadiums designs for the growing U.S. and Canadian league, they offer a more urban, neighborhood-sized sports arena that stands in sharp contrast to the mega-stadiums built for other sports.
Located on 31 acres in the Downtown West area of St. Louis, the forthcoming MLS stadium, designed by HOK and Snow Kreilich Architects, will anchor a mixed-used district that unites numerous neighborhoods. Running north-south and connecting businesses on Olive Street to Union Station, a former transportation hub turned commercial district, the development?which includes a 22,500-seat stadium, training facilities, and team offices?also lines up with the Gateway Arch to the east, expanding a band of parks and public spaces that run through the center of the city.
Courtesy HOK
A view of the proposed stadium and training fields, looking east toward the St. Louis Arch.

Built to be a multi-use facility, it?s an emerging example of what could be ca...