The UMKC Department of Architecture, Urban Planning + Design presented two awards in the 2016 JC Nichols Student Prize competition at a reception on May 6.

Nicolette Wallis won first place for her project, “The City is Our Campus.” Her plan featured a re-activation of the area along Troost Ave. in Kansas City, Missouri. In her presentation, Wallis focused on opportunities for growth. “Our neighbors can be our greatest asset.”

Abigail Newsham won second place for her project, “Pedestrian Campus.” Newsham’s plan focused on making the UMKC campus a more pedestrian-friendly urban oasis where people would feel, “There’s no place like UMKC.”

These projects were the culmination of a semester study by Urban Planning + Design students. The Urban Planning Studio II class studied outdoor spaces on the UMKC Volker campus.

At the start of the class, students asked the question, what do we need to take it to the next level – to make the campus more walkable, and bikeable? How do we make it easier to cross over to the Country Club Plaza and the Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art? How do we improve the campus edges and physical relationships with neighbors?

AUPD students analyzed existing conditions through pictures and by reviewing existing campus plans and environmental data. To gather enough pictures for study, students made site visits and collected pictures shared on social media using the hashtag #UMKCSpaces.

The JC Nichols Student Prize is awarded to the best student urban design projects presented in final reviews for the Spring Semester UPD 312 studio. Prize selection was made by a jury of professionals in the fields of urban planning, urban design and urban development. The prize has been generously supported by the Miller Nichols Charitable Foundation.