I chose to focus on the 2.5-mile buffer around the UMKC Volker Campus or the “Campus-Community Interface.” I believe there is a real need to improve transportation around campus if UMKC is to see itself as anything but a commuter campus in the next 20 years and begins to integrate students with its surrounding neighbors. There is much room for development and redevelopment within a 2.5-mile radius of campus. According to US Census Bureau, American Community Survey, Kansas City is above average in people who drive alone to work. With driving increasing, this plan aims to take tremendous strides to reverse this statistic and promote a greater 20-year sustainability goal for our beloved city.

The first site I chose to focus on for this final project is on the corner of 63rd and Rockhill Rd. It’s about 1.5 miles south of the UMKC Volker campus. If a student were to live here, a trip to the Volker campus would be an 11-minute bike ride, a 22-minute bus ride, or a 37-minute walk. Although this site has many amenities that are accessible, I believe it is missing some businesses that could complement the area. So, I chose this specific site to improve upon that and an opportunity to add a mixed-income housing development.

The Second Site I chose to focus on will complement the future trolley track trail bridge that will connect people who need to get across brush creek without a car and complete the future streetcar stop. In addition, this area can serve as a destination along the Trolly Track Trail and be the area that connects the plaza to the UMKC campus. It is just south of the intersection of Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd and Brookside Blvd. There is ample opportunity for development, and it could create an excellent third place for students and the surrounding neighborhoods.

A study from RideKC in 2016 shows that the bicycle demand around campus is high, and I believe it will increase as e-bikes become more popular and affordable. Looking at transportation data trends in Jackson County from 2000 to 2020 on how people are getting to work, we can see that, by no surprise, car transportation has increased by 7%. The critical statistic, in this case, is that people who bike to work have increased by 112%. In the next 20 years, it will be necessary for Kansas City to capitalize on this and recognize the demand.

My overall proposal aims at much more than just two development sites. First, it will address the disconnection of trails and transit around campus. Second, it will be improved infrastructure that will make these types of developments thrive. Third, it will complement the existing and future streetcar routes and the existing north-south MAX bus lines that run on Main, Troost, and Prospect. Finally, it is to help the neighborhoods around the campus of medium to low household income gain more access to better opportunities whether you are a student or not.