For our final project of UPD 312 we were tasked with designing a mobility hub along the Bi-State Sustainable Reinvestment Corridor at a randomly assigned intersection. This corridor is a regional planning effort spearheaded by the Mid America Regional Council (MARC), in order to build a new zero emissions public transportation option from Independence Square to Village West in Kansas City, Kansas. This will connect four cities, two counties, two states, and 191,068 people in the Kansas City metro area.
Figure 1. Regional Connections
Specifically, The Springs focuses on I-635 and State Ave in Kansas City, KS where the Indian Springs Mall used to reside. Since the removal of the mall the southeastern corner of the intersection is completely barren except for the KCK Midtown Transit station and the Police Station next door. Strip mall style commercial lines State Avenue with many auto-oriented gas stations and car repair businesses set up along the street. single family homes back these businesses on both sides of State Ave meaning if the mobility hub were to occur along State the development opportunities would be limited and lots of demolition would have to occur for this to be a reality. To minimize the demolition that occurs and to ensure fast and frequent connections throughout the metro I proposed the mobility hub be located directly next to the Midtown Transit Center within the old Indian Springs Mall site.
Figure 2. Detailed Diagram of My Mobility Hub.
Figure 3. Half Mile Impact Zone and accompanying Land Use Diagram
Given the previous vacantness of the site I took inspiration of various New Urbanist developments in suburban areas throughout the United States to put as much housing in this new area as possible. In total when the project is completed 3,143 new units will be added to the half mile radius and all the development will cost $998,443,552. There will be various types of housing throughout The Springs spilling over into the half mile area including various types of single-family homes, duplexes, six-plexes, and podium buildings of various height. Figure 4 shows the building typologies found throughout The Springs.
Figure 4. Housing Typologies
Incorporating a variety of housing types into this area increases diversity and provides for an interesting and varied streetscape at the pedestrian experience. This development is not just new building footprint though, there are several greenspaces implemented throughout which provide a change in scenery compared to the heavily built-up areas of The Springs. Figure 5 shows several of these greenspaces in section to demonstrate how it works within the built environment.
Figure 5. South Section
Taking advantage of the existing Midtown Transit Center was one of the primary ideas which helped to inform my design of The Springs and so it was very important to me to improve the transit service it offered so better regional connectivity could be offered. Figure 6 shows the transit services offered from The Springs Mobility Hub including both the Transit Center and the BRT station. Currently the Midtown Transit Center offers service along the 101, 102, 106, 113, and 116 all which run east to west in KCK along different major streets. The 106 connects to the East Village Transit Center in KCMO which in itself connects to most other parts of the metro. To supplement this in addition to the BRT I am proposing two new routes the 129 and the 405 which will serve as north south connections from The Springs. The 129 will connect north to KCI connecting the mobility hub to the airport and the Northland as a whole. The 405 will run south connecting the mobility hub to downtown Overland Park one of the most pedestrian friendly areas in Johnson County.
Figure 6. Public Transportation from The Springs
In addition to public transit, I plan to improve the pedestrian and vehicle connectivity in the region by adding missing sidewalk infrastructure in many of the neighborhoods to the north and east of The Springs and also building a bridge over a creek to the east along Orville Street. These ideas can be seen in Figures 7 and 8. New bike lanes will also be added along State Ave and within The Springs to ensure cyclists are protected from vehicular traffic.
Figure 7. New Road Network
Figure 8. New Sidewalk Network
I am proposing the BRT will be center running and have dedicated lanes in the middle of State Ave. This may be unorthodox for the region, but I believe by dedicating the most valuable infrastructure to this new transit system, the speed and efficiency the transit line will run at will match the transit-oriented future the Bi-State Sustainable Reinvestment Corridor is aiming to achieve. Figures 9 and 10 show the functionality of these center running lanes and the improvements which will be made to the intersection of 47th and State Ave.
Figure 9. 47th and State Intersection Improvements
Figure 10. State Ave Section
Implementation for this project will happen in four phases. The first will see the building of the BRT station and the new road infrastructure needed for its operation in addition to slight surrounding commercial development. The next phase will see the demolition of some buildings along State Ave and the development of many mixed used buildings on the north side of the sight which will have commercial on their ground floor. The third phase will see construction of mixed-use buildings to the west on State Ave as well as lower density residential filling out the new streets towards the southern end of the development. The fourth phase will see infill of single family and six plex units in the surrounding neighborhoods to the west and north of The Springs. Figures 11-15 represent my implementation strategy.
Figure 11. Existing Conditions
Figure 12. Implementation Stage 1
Figure 13. Implementation Stage 2
Figure 14. Implementation Stage 3
Figure 15. Implementation Stage 4
Overall, The Springs is a great development opportunity for KCK and the entire region as it will provide an exciting new area of commerce, walkable living, and connectivity through vehicular and public transportation means to the rest of the metro. The empty nature of the site provides for truly endless potential, and I believe The Springs emphasizes New Urbanist principles which will make, living, shopping, and working in the area more enjoyable.