The urban environment of Kansas City in 1900 is much different than it is today. The amount of density is a sight to behold. Every block in the city is filled with development. The River Market area is nothing like it is today, and the trench created for The North Loop is decades away. This area, along with the 1925 map are characterized by dense blocks, wide streets, narrow alley ways, and adjoining 1 to 3 story structures. The most notable feature of the 1900 and 1925 maps are the inner courtyards and spaces between the buildings. There are a number of spaces that zigzag into the back sides of structures, some beginning at the road while most begin from the alleys. As an aside it has always been interesting to me that the area north of Independence Ave is angled to alight with the edge of the river front while the area south of the river front aligns with the north axis. It is uncommon city design but makes for a fascinating experience when visited in person.

1963 sees big change to this area. River Market and The North Loop have been formed. A significant number of structures have been demolished to make way for roads and highways, and many block south of the loop that had dense massing are now parking lots. What happened to Kansas City in 30 years that this is the best city planning downtown was provided? We would never see whole blocks dedicated to parking in larger cities such as Chicago. It is unfortunate that areas of prime real estate have been subjected to bring a simple parking lot. The building that remains from 1925 are unrecognizable surrounded by all of the newer developments.

While the density and number of structures have gone down, and the land use dedicated to highway usage has increased, one good thing does come out of this. River Market, which has become a must-see attraction of Kansas City and a cultural staple. This area is filled with rich food options, specialty shopping and nearby housing. It also hosts a weekly farmers market. The area surrounding River Market has a completely different urban design then south of The Loop. This area feels like classic Kansas City despite being built so recently. This is reflected in the figure ground where the density while lighter than what it once was, is still more dense than the areas south of The Loop.

The 1990 and 2025 see relatively few changes, a few less structures here, a few more there, a handful of new parking lots added, etc. The most notable change is how the city has leaned into being even more cars dominate then it was in the past. There has been little effort to change this aside from the KC Streetcar, which while a nice improvement, is useless to anyone who is east and west of Main Street as the Streetcar only runs north and south along that road.

Transforming The North Loop into something new that can both help alleviate the need for cars in downtown and add new space for pedestrians will greatly enhance the urban landscape. Increased travel and recreation programming with also help to drive community development and economic development, hopefully all those parking lots will be turned into structures that become a vital part of the urban landscape.