Category Archives: Visions

The Viaduct: Bi-State Mobility Hub

Image May 9, 2024 Nahaji Kebe

For our final 312 studio project we were tasked to create a mobility hub along the Bi State Sustainable reinvestment corridor. Each studio was assigned a intersection from East in Independence Square to Village West in KCK.

The West Bottoms has long been an industrial land use after the flooding in 1901 and 1951. All forms of residential land use were brought to what is now downtown Kansas City. The area has begun its regrowth and has become a potential residential development district again.

Figure 2. Existing land use, zoning and future land use.

Figure. 2 shows the existing land use, zoning, and future land use in the half-mile radius. The current area consists of a single apartment flat a few commercial and use and mostly industrial use. The future land use will consist of new residential and renovated ones over five. A few industrial uses will be kept on the north side of I-70. With new commercial development in the middle of the area.

The mobility hub is located at Mulberry and Highway 70. In the blue is the transit center, with a pavilion that covers enough for buses. The design has bike lanes, sidewalks, trails, and improved crossing. Ample parking spaces for residents and visitors.

The obstruction disconnecting the KCK, and downtown Kansas City Missouri is the 7-lane I-70. It currently only carries high-speed vehicular traffic. Considering that, inclusive transportation can not only connect the bi-state but also improve the environment. The 7-lane highway will be turned into 4-lane vehicles with reminding lines going to streetcar, planter, pedestrian path, and bike lane.

The streetcar would direct connection to the ground and the apartments, with ample green space and pedestrian path.

Redevelopment district

West Bottom has ample connections from both sides of the states. It has highway 70 and highway 670 going through it. Its also got 12th Street, and Centra Bridge Ave that connect to downtown, City Market, redevelopment district, and industrial district.

KCATA has multiply routes in the West Bottom. With the new BRT in the West Bottoms, I extended the bus routes South of West of Bottoms to give residents other options besides driving personal vehicles.

Figure 8. Existing Public Transportation and Extended Route

The Implementations will be done in four phase. First we will begin the demolition phase to prepare for new development, and undergo brownfields cleanup and the area to prepare for new development. Phase 2 will start the new apartments development and the mobility hub along with redevelopment of I-70. Also extending the road network in the surrounding areas. Phase 3 will pick up after phase 2. with redevelopment district a renovating the existing infrastructure and converting those to new apartments. Phase 4 will focus on commercial land use, and any additional development to make that West Bottoms is thriving.

Visions

Blog 6 – Why did I choose my area?

May 9, 2023 Kayla Cusumano

Out of the sites that I had originally proposed, this area is Hospital Hill was by far the most complicated in terms of topography, water, and connectivity. The site that I chose was 5 parcels of land that is currently owned by University of Missouri – Kansas City and Kansas City. This site required the least amount of demolition that I could find compared to the other sites I was considering, and it is nestled in between existing infrastructure such as the Hospital Hill Apartments.

Hospital Hill is the smaller campus of UMKC, and it is primarily consisted of health and science departments such as the School of Dentistry, School of Pharmacy, and the School of Medicine. My program is centered around the research on this campus completed for the master plan update of UMKC, and the deficits that they found. The Hospital Hill campus is severally deprived of several amenities such as dining, housing, study space, and gathering space.

First Impressions, Uncategorized, Visions

Bi-State Sustainable Reinvestment Corridor

January 17, 2023 frischm

Map of corridor — Census Tracts in the Corridor.

Design and Development in the Bi-State Reinvestment Corridor of Kansas City

This semester UP+D Studio 312 will be examining the Bi-State Sustainable Reinvestment Corridor of Kansas City, This corridor will combine net-zero electric transit with strategic investments to address environmental justice and economic development.

Improving the corridor requires thinking about some major urban issues of the present time. First, How did the big issues of urban change such as redlining, urban renewal, deindustrialization, and highway construction impact the corridor? Then, what are the existing plans for the corridor? How will we address the issue of housing affordability? Housing costs have been rising 3X faster then income in greater Kansas City. What assets do neighborhoods bring to the bi-state corridor plan? What are the present environmental conditions on the corridor and are their environmental justice hotspots? UMKC might best thought of as a “school zone” and a reduced speed on at least Rockhill and Oak Street might greatly improve safety. How will bicycle facilities and trails cross the corridor and connect to improved transit?

We will conduct this study in four parts – We will start with an Existing Conditions Analysis examining economic, transport, social and demographic trends impacting the neighborhoods and areas around corridor; then conduct a detailed analysis of site conditions and on-the-ground impressions of the corridor, identify strategic nodes for student intervention proposals, followed by the development of final design proposal for catalytic “transit-oriented development” that will advance Independence, and both Kansas City, Missouri and Kansas City, Kansas.

Visions

Why is now perfect for redevelopment?

April 29, 2019 Adair Bright

Six-Three T Logo; Created by Adair Bright on Adobe Photoshop

When it comes to developing The Landing Site and its immediate surroundings on 63rd and Troost, I had to reflect on my first impressions of the site back in January. When doing so I found that my thoughts concerning the site were to better incorporate the parks and boulevards aesthetic, include the youth in the area, the views out of the site and in to it, and that the topography allows for interesting design choices that are made with clear intentions.

Looking back on my first impressions and the design I was already beginning to formulate, my impressions were shown in the design choices I began to make. I wanted to line both sides of Meyer with trees and had to make sure to not include any retail directly on the boulevard. When it came to addressing the youth, I got stuck because I did not want to put a playground on the site and call it good. I wanted something for all ages of youth to keep teenagers out of trouble and to stimulate young kid’s minds. In order to achieve this, I am planning on including a ton of outdoor furniture intended to be skateboarded on without putting in a skate park. For the young kids, I am planning a center that includes arts and also an open learning center with kids toys. The last two, the views into and out of the site and the topography, go hand in hand and for that, I have decided to include a balcony at the highest point on the landing site so people can see what is actually happening. I have also decided to relate to the U-Drive for the school across Meyer Boulevard by designing my buildings to mimic the U-Drive and including an open green space.

With all of that being said, I have boiled down my design to be the happy medium between structure and leisure. The leisure comes from the inclusion of youth, the open green space, the retail, and the restaurants. The structure comes from the Parks and boulevards Standards and the structure of the buildings. Therefore, I have concluded that the development will be called Six-Three T and will include the logo pictured above for branding.

Visions

A case for parks

April 24, 2019 Bryce Morgan

Image may contain: one or more people, tree, sky and outdoor — Dagg Park – North Kansas City

The Landing is situated in a very unique place and is thus put in a very interesting opportunistic position.

Kansas City holds a very interesting title that is unknown to the majority of the public-even most planners. The City is home of the biggest and most complete Parks and Boulevard system in the WORLD. This is even more interesting learning that the brains behind this project, George Kessler, lived to see its completion. This is a feet that is unheard of, especially in the late 1800’s and early 1900’s.

Map of the KC Parks System from the 1944 Report of Board, p. 16

“The City Beautiful movement was fundamentally important to Kansas City. It remade an ugly boomtown, giving it miles of graceful boulevards and parkways flanked by desirable residential sections, acres of ruggedly beautiful parkland dotted with recreational improvements, and several neighborhood playgrounds in crowded districts. Its results received attention and praise from city planners across the United States. It gave scope to the ambition and talent of George E. Kessler, whose success in Kansas City was the gateway to nationwide recognition in the professions of landscape architecture and city planning. Its boulevards helped define the natural demarcations among commercial, industrial, and residential sections, and were a boon to neighborhood stability in the years before effective zoning. It reached into every part of the city, establishing unity through its own pervasiveness. In later years another set of city planners would find the much maligned City Beautiful architects had willed them a boulevard grid to ease the mounting loads of automobile traffic, had pointed the way to greater use of the park and boulevard system’s recreational opportunities, and had left to them a precious legacy of urban beauty.”
William Wilson in “The City Beautiful Movement in Kansas City”

The Landing is situated in a perfect position to connect the ending of the Paseo Boulevard and the Dunn Park. This is one of the driving parts of my design, as well as beefing up the landscaping along the Troost and 63rd corridors.

Parks have a variety of benefits and is essential the the health of the nearby residents, especially the added 100-200 residents that will be living in the new complex in the Landing. These include lower stress, lower depression and an increase in happiness. Along with this it emphasizes community and connects people. There are studies that show that the strongest indicators of life expectancy are relationships with family, friends and neighbors.

The only way to build density is to encourage it and by making this site a very attractive .

Visions

Mobility Hubs: Why They Matter

February 7, 2018 Jenna Baker

I’ve lived in Kansas City my whole life. There are so many reasons why I love it; the food, the culture, the art, but I also see its flaws. Like every city, there are downsides to living here. A big downside that I not only see, but experience on a day to day basis, is the lack of transportation. Kansas City is a one mode city: the car. Yes, Kansas City has public transit; the bus and now, a streetcar; but these systems are not yet at a level that provides most of the Kansas City metro with “adequate” service. Most Kansas Citians do not live where they work.

The idea of mobility hubs is that certain intersections of our existing infrastructure could provide launch points for multi-modal transportation. These intersections could be two or more highways that cross each other, downtown city centers that provide multiple bus stops, etc. The key is using already built infrastructure, with good connections, to create a mobility hub that introduces a variety of transportation options (bus, rail, biking, and places to walk around) that better connect to the surrounding area; meaning close and long-range destinations.

The development of mobility hubs begins the conversation of prioritizing transportation, of all types, and to changing the streetscape. With the wave of autonomous vehicles and better transportation, these conversations need to be had. The future, inevitably, is not car-oriented. The future is consolidating transportation and making it more efficient, and hopefully, affordable. People look for walkability, convenience, and affordability; that is why mobility hubs matter. It’s another step closer to the future we want.

Image by Sophia Von Berg via Shared-use Mobility.

Visions

What’s your vision of a 21st Century Parks and Boulevard System in Kansas City?

March 6, 2015 frischm

“A Parks and Boulevards system that better serves the recreational needs of all existing residents, more effectively activates and connects the city’s activity centers, and becomes a source of pride for 21^st century Kansas Citians ”

“The future of Kansas City’s Parks and Boulevards System depends on the analysis of the system’s history and the recognition of currents needs and concerns, in order to make wise decisions that build upon the existing foundation. Once the physical parameters of the spaces are modified to accommodate today’s environment, elements such as bike and pedestrian trafficways, street furniture and park structures can be updated to fit the layout. Upon the implementation of these new ideas, the Parks and Boulevards System will increase interest in and activity to the surrounding neighborhoods.”

“A leader in new high density housing, and mixed use development. A leader in expanding the shared-use trail system with separate bike lanes. A tool used to help strengthen struggling neighborhoods.”

“We strive to better our urban spaces through creating more diversity In our parks. By responding to the changing landscape of values in Kansas City, the 21st century of parks and boulevards will continue to be a asset to our city. The parks and boulevards act as a valuable structure that need not only be preserved but responded to by future development.”