My area houses University of Missouri – Kansas City institutions such as the School of Nursing, Dentistry, and Pharmacy, and a housing complex on the westside. Along with a major institution, the area is mostly occupied by the Truman Medical Center and Children’s Mercy. Hospital Hill Park is located directly to the left of the Truman Medical Center, and Longfellow Park is located directly to the south of the UMKC’s School of Dentistry. The most notable asset is the Crown Center which holds Hallmark Cards and many other amenities such as restaurants, LEGOLAND, SeaLife, and the Crown Center Ice Terrace.

Even though my area of Hospital Hill is close in proximity to the vibrant commercial district, pedestrian traffic is still low within my three blocks. The Troost Max has two bus stops located on Holmes St and Charlotte which run parallel to UMKC buildings, but I found that most students use the provided surface lots or garages to park there cars. This is further reinforced by the amount of surface parking, garages, and permit parking is provided for residents to visit crown center. The city has provided bicycle lanes that run in both directions on the east side of Gillham Rd as well bicycle lanes on both sides of 27th St which will hopefully in the future provide motivation for students and staff to bike or walk to these locations.

The detailed analysis conducted in the first weeks of class showed that many students commute to UMKC or work from quite a distance away. The amount of parking areas provided within my given study area confirms that cars are a necessity, and I question whether adding bicycle lanes are enough to promote people to change transportation methods.