UMKC is a piece-meal university that kind of lingers in the background. It is felt on Troost or Brookside
as you pass the blur of a university. Only further down Troost, you approach Rockhurst University do you
sense a university. Once on the campus, the university is very easy to discern. UMKC has a campus-in-the-park design, and is fairly spread out (I might be biased, the department I am pursuing a degree in is
based out of the furthest building from the rest of campus). Building design consistency on and around
the campus isn’t even an afterthought. Outside the campus on Oak Street (Whole Foods, and those 51st
Street Shops) if you faced away from UMKC you wouldn’t think a university was in the area. In this
picture below we see a South Plaza flag, so if we really weren’t paying attention and somebody asked
where we were – this is the only visual indicator.

There is a missed potential of this university-city
dichotomy. UMKC kind of hangs-out in the background, to the city. And sure, there are issues that come
with being a campus:
➔ studentification (think gentrification but with students),
➔ University expansion and displacement of nonstudent residents
➔ ‘Student behavior is typically the top issue in town-gown relations’ (Dalton 2018)
The streetcar is a really good move forward in
advancing the interface between the university and the
rest of the city. And maybe more students interacting
outside of the campus will help curb some of those
campus issues. UMKC lacks a university- identity
outside of the campus area. There is very little or no
campus-community interface, and this may have more
to do with the number of commuters attending UMKC.
And there is no campus district, no clear indication of
where I am and where the university is in relation to
me.

The UMKC Master Plan 2021 is a well
developed campus master plan that is focused
on renovations of existing buildings, student
driven infill and construction (housing,
engagement space), and creating a sense of
campus identity. There is really good work by
focusing on bringing students on campus; the
plan has also established a need to create
identity, community outreach, and making the
campus less car friendly. There will probably
be the biggest student pushback on the
transformation of 51st street (see picture above (14)). The KC metro loves their cars. The campus as it
needs this plan, to help make the campus more cohesive, sustainable and develop better relations with off campus populace. There may have been something to say about Troost Avenue as it is the connecting
street to both campuses, but that would also require the city approval. I would also like to focus on more
sustainable landscaping as a means to prevent flooding and beautification. Lawns are a waste of resources
and time. Why not have the plants work for us? The next step for the campus is to clarify its interface
with the community by working with the city and the neighborhoods and businesses nearby campuses.
The university is going to have to show how it is a benefit to the community. Hopefully the city can take more notice.