In an effort to make identification more accessible and inclusive to all its residents, the city of St. Louis, Mo., is planning to introduce the Gateway Card – a municipal ID card that not only seeks to serve as identification, but also help residents connect to services and businesses, as well as with each other.
Years in the making and the culmination of significant collaborative efforts between city government leaders, community advocates and service providers, the Gateway Card has the potential to become a primary tool for civic engagement and empowerment.
The Gateway Card is the product of continued advocacy within the city. Alderwoman Daniela Velázquez, who sponsored the legislation that created the program, refers to it as a “people-driven process” shaped by the residents of St. Louis, not just for them. “There was a fantastic, committed group of advocates and constituents who were hungry for this to happen,” Velázquez stated. “We wrote the legislation with their voices as the top priority, and it was unanimously passed by the board of aldermen.”…