Performance can be measured by reference to the spatial form of the city and the quality of spaces, recognizing that local context is often the primary influence on development and redevelopment. Previous developments and proposals can serve as a basis for what established place there originally.
An environment can be used to communicate the past and the present that form an extended pattern. Patterns in time are often celebrated, with holidays and the seasonal shifts, often influencing the uses of public and private spaces. The dimensions identified by Lynch are not too rigid or prescriptive to resist changing qualities of the environment. The consideration of a temporal factor in the identified dimensions of performance makes them consider needs of future development and anticipated challenges.
The absolute of future development for the Valentine neighborhood is construction of more housing units, with diversity in housing stock comparable to what was available in the neighborhood’s past. Small apartments, ranging in 3 to 6 units, comprised the majority of units in structure in Valentine.
The beginning of fixed route transit service to the Valentine neighborhood began October 1, 1889 as the Washing and Summit cable car line
• Provided access from West Bottoms to Downtown and the north side of the Valentine neighborhood
• Ran from Union Depot on Ninth to Washington. Washington to about 13th-14th Streets, continuing on13th-14th Summit Street. Summit Street to 29th Street
• Service was reduced to Southwest Boulevard in early 1901
Source: KC History https://kclibrary.org/art-objects/map-greater-kansas-city-suburbs
In 1920 the Valentine neighborhood was served by the 21 Jackson-Roanoke streetcar route
• Service on the streetcar route from 1910’s
• Destination sign would read Jackson – 24th on Northbound trip
• Destination sign would read Roanoke – 45th or Summit – 39th on Southbound trip
• Streetcar service along Summit Street until widening and repaving of Summit Street in 1951
In 1944 the Valentine neighborhood was served by the 57 Jackson-Roanoke streetcar route
• Service continued from 21 streetcar route from 1910’s
• Destination sign would read Jackson – 24th on Northbound trip
• Destination sign would read Roanoke – 45th or Summit – 39th on Southbound trip
• Streetcar service along Summit Street until widening and repaving of Summit Street in 1951
Source: KC History https://kchistory.org/image/broadway-boulevard-valentine-road-0
Streetcar service along Broadway Boulevard concluded in 1940’s
• Routes 4 and 48 provided service on Broadway Boulevard from 1920’s to 1940’s
• Route 4 ran from Ward Parkway and 59th Street to Belleview Avenue, winding on Westport Road and Broadway Boulevard to Downtown
• Route 48 ran from Downtown along Broadway Boulevard to 39th Street, providing service east-west between State Line Road and Broadway
Broadway Boulevard is serviced by a single bus route, traveling from the Plaza to Armour
• Begins at the Plaza Transit Center, travelling up Broadway Boulevard and turning East onto ArmourBoulevard
• Runs on Armour Boulevard / 35th Street to Van Brunt, returning from Van Brunt Loop
• Connects St Luke’s Hospital to the Kansas City VA Medical Center along a dense residential corridor
• Route 35 has 435 daily riders in January 2026
Main MAX service was rerouted to Broadway Boulevard for nearly ten years
• Provided 20-minute headways either direction from Waldo to River Market and Columbus Park
• Travelled along Grand Boulevard through Downtown, on Pershing Road, turning onto Penn Valley Drive / Broadway Boulevard
• Ran from 5AM to 12AM from Monday – Saturday
• Reduced service on Sundays
The Main Street Extension of the KC Streetcar replaced Main Max service
• Operates at 10-12 minute frequencies
• Runs from 5 AM to 12 AM Monday-Thursday
• Runs from 5 AM to 1 AM Friday and Saturday
• Runs from 6AM to 12AM Sunday
• Connects River Market to South Plaza, UMKC
• Encourages Transit Oriented Development (TOD) on the Main Street Corridor
• 7,873 daily riders in January 2026
RideKC Route 31 provides East-West connectivity on the 31st Street Corridor at 15 minute frequencies
• 15 minute frequencies make it the most frequent bus route in the state of Missouri
• Not the most frequent bus corridor (Prospect Avenue)
• Runs from 5 AM to 12 AM Monday-Saturday
• Runs from 5 AM to 10 PM on Sunday
• Connects southern Independence to the core of Kansas City
• 1,931 daily riders in January 2026
Route 39 provides East-West transit on the 39th Street Corridor
• Operates at 30 minute frequencies
• Runs from 5 AM to 12 AM Monday-Saturday
• Runs from 5 AM to 10 PM on Sunday
• Connects KU Medical Center and Volker / Roanoke Neighborhoods to the East Side
• Deviation to VA Medical Center
• 584 daily riders in January 2026
Where access is provided, pedestrian and sidewalk infrastructure is well designed
• Southwest Trafficway has few points to cross the roadway
• Certain streets have unsafe crossings
• Road diets to Main Street and Broadway Boulevard have improved walking conditions along the respective corridors
• New tree plantings in the neighborhood will provide shade and clean air
Board 1 of 3 showing axonometric and plan views of site.Board 2 of 3 showing section of the Delaware Avenue Bridge at three pivotal moments during development of the transit center.Board 3 of 3 showing phasing of the implementation of the North Loop Neighbors vision plan, with buildings color-coded by land use in the phases during which they are to be constructed.
Original vision plan courtesy of North Loop Neighbors. I classified the programmed buildings by land use, including the parks, new community center and new transit center.This is my idea for how the North Loop’s Interstates, U.S. Highways and Missouri State Highways could be realigned in the event of its removal.
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.
Figure 1. History and Background
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.
Figure 3. Mobility Hub
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.
Figure 3. Highway 70 Redesigned Section
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.
Figure 4. The Street Car Stop
The streetcar would direct connection to the ground and the apartments, with ample green space and pedestrian path.
Figure 5. Redevelopment District
Redevelopment district
Figure 6. Elevation of the 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.
Figure 7. Connections
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.
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.
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.
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.
