Mission
The Kirkwood Gadfly is dedicated to promoting inclusive, sustainable growth and vibrant, walkable communities in Kirkwood. We believe that when government policies allow individuals and businesses the freedom to make the most of their land, it leads to shared economic prosperity, increased housing affordability, and diverse opportunities for all. By reducing unnecessary regulations and fostering market-driven solutions, we can build a more accessible Kirkwood where residents and future generations alike can thrive. Above all, The Kirkwood Gadfly champions smart governance, grounded in evidence-based decisions that enhance livability and unlock prosperity for all its citizens.
About the Blog
Kirkwood Gadfly was founded in 2017 while I was studying abroad in Madrid, Spain. Following along with the happenings of St. Louis from half a world away, I was struck by what a resource NextSTL was for me and by a desire to contribute to that conversation. Because St. Louis seemed pretty well covered, I settled on Kirkwood as a more manageable project.
The blog, a description I’ve grown more comfortable with in recent years (I previously insisted on calling it a website, but when you only have one writer, you can call it whatever you want, but it’s a blog), has since grown beyond my wildest expectations. Where early on it constituted little more than a creative writing project, it now breaks development news, is home to city council candidate interviews, hosts research projects and consistently tops 2,000 views a month. The blog’s social media presence has grown right along side it and now features active twitter, facebook, and bluesky pages as well as a vigorous comments section under each post.
All of this is just to say, thank you so much for reading. Readers like you give the blog legitimacy —legitimacy that makes both developers and elected officials more likely to take what I, a twenty-something year-old kid, seriously. They might not like all of it, but thanks to you, they can’t ignore it. At least not completely. None of this happens without you.