Tag Archives: Kansas City

First Impressions, Quick Analysis

Bi-state Sustainable Reinvestment Corridor RFP and the KC Regional Climate Action Plan

The issued request for proposals for the Bi-state Sustainable Reinvestment Corridor (BSRC) has the potential to fully revitalize communities in the heart of the Kansas City metropolitan area. Kansas City, KS, Kansas City, MO, and Independence, MO, will all benefit from this focus on modern green infrastructure, economic development, and community safety. The BSRC reflects targeted development that can maximize potential. Regional cooperation is essential in transforming everyday life, and this RFP emphasizes the need for participation from all stakeholders in the corridor.

Map showing the boundary of the Bi-state Sustainable Reinvestment Corridor as defined by the Mid-American Regional Council.
Figure 1. Project location map defining the BSRC (MARC, 2023).

I must also recognize the current context in which the BSRC exists. Recent infrastructure laws championed by the Biden administration–namely, the 2021 Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act and 2022 Inflation Reduction Act–have enabled a wave of sustainable, climate-focused infrastructure developments across the United States. This RFP targets sustainability as the driving factor behind this development, aligning itself with these federal goals. Political support from the administration and local congressional offices will determine how far the BSRC plans will go.

I appreciate the Mid-America Regional Council and its partners for committing to implement numerous existing plans. A pattern exists in the planning world where money and effort get put into development plans that now collect dust. The BSRC RFP affirms that extensive work regarding transportation, climate, trails and bikeways, and economic development has already happened (MARC, 2023, p. 6). All plans should include this history to ensure efficient progress occurs.

Graphic listing climate priorities as identified by the Kansas City Regional Climate Action Plan executive summary.
Figure 2. Kansas City Regional Climate Action Plan priorities and strategies listed in its executive summary (MARC and Climate Action KC, 2021).

The Kansas City Regional Climate Action Plan is a part of this project’s history (p. 6). I view the BSRC as a direct implementation process of the 2021 action plan developed by MARC and Climate Action KC. The CAP lists recommendations for transportation investments, building efficiency standards, greenhouse gas emissions reductions, and more–all elements listed in the RFP. The CAP should be a reference for every major infrastructure project in the Kansas City region.

It is encouraging to see how intertwined these two plans are. This project will provide a great look into this exciting corridor.

References

Mid-America Regional Council and Climate Action KC. (2021). KC Regional Climate Action Plan Executive Summary. https://kcmetroclimateplan.org/

Mid-America Regional Council and Climate Action KC. (2021). KC Regional Climate Action Plan. https://kcmetroclimateplan.org/

Mid-America Regional Council. (2023, December 19). Bi-state Sustainable Reinvestment Corridor. https://www.marc.org/about-marc/funding-and-rfps/

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Biking on Campus

Transportation around UMKC campus feels limited for UMKC being a commuter campus. Most students park their cars in lots or parking garages and walk to their classes from their parking spots. It is not feasible to drive to every class on campus so providing other realms of transportation like electric bikes.

I chose to take one of the electric bikes for a ride on campus to see the logistics of riding on campus and how effective it can be instead of walking to classes. UMKC’s campus consists of different contours that can be more difficult to walk and bikes could really come in handy. Below is a map of the route I took.

I started by downloading the BikeKC app on my phone and going to the bike charging station near Whole Foods. I parked in the School of Education parking lot so I knew I wanted to bike from Whole Foods to there.

The app was easy to work and I was riding shortly after getting to the charging station. The bikes can be intimidating at first because of the speed, but luckily I chose a route with smooth sidewalks.

The first mental note I made was that the sidewalks were actually in good condition. They felt a little narrow to ride an E-bike on when there were other people walking on the sidewalks, but they were still in good shape. Protected bike lanes on campus eventually could be a good addition. The intersection at 52nd and Cherry felt a little steep and dangerous because its a large intersection, but again, I felt safe because I had the sidewalk to ride on. I do wish there was a crosswalk at this intersection.

Riding down Oak St. to 52nd street felt boring aesthetically and a little unsafe. Oak street keeps pretty busy in terms of the traffic flow and the sidewalk is again narrow.

I ended at the Education Building parking lot at the end of my ride. There was nowhere to return my bike at a charging station in the near area, so this was not convenient.

Overall, I think the addition of BikeKC to campus could be a great one with more charging stations and bikes available. I also believe adding bike lanes on main streets of campus and cross walks at all intersections will keep those safe who are riding bikes.

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Why Oak Street?

When thinking about UMKC campus and its interface connection to the city as it stands, one word I have to describe it is disconnected. Campus is integrated into the heart of KCMO. Minutes from the Plaza, Westport, and so much more, UMKC’s campus has the potential to be involved in the city and provide amenities to those on campus but also in surrounding neighborhoods. 

Integrating campus into the community is a great way to get a better connection between the two. I chose Oak st. because the possibilities are endless. 

Encouraging Oak St. Corridor to become a pedestrian friendly street opens up opportunities for community/public engagement and creates a good interface connection. Being minutes from KC assets like the Nelson Atkins Museum is a great motivator for a pedestrian friendly street. Those traveling down Oak on foot get a sense of campus community when approaching the redeveloped stairs of Oak St./The entrance of campus. 

Promoting Oak as a walkable, pedestrian activated street creates a connection to other parts of the city as well as the Trolley Track Trail additions. 

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Elements of the Public Realm: Parking

Elements of the public realm are public elements existing within communities. These elements can be things like plazas, courtyards, public streets or parking. Elements of the public realm should embody ideas of circulation and easy access.

Parking is a very important element to the public, especially on university campuses. For this blog, we will be taking a look at University of Missouri – Kansas City’s current parking situation.

UMKC is a commuter campus, meaning more students live off campus than on campus. Many of these students drive their own personal vehicles which are then needed to be parked on UMKC’s campus or surrounding areas while students are in class.
Figure 1.0 shows UMKC’s current parking map displayed on their website.

Figure 1.0
There is a mix between metered parking, student parking (those who have parking permits), and faculty/staff parking. There is also some off campus street parking, but not much in comparison to the amount of assigned parking for UMKC’s campus.
Figure 2.0

Figure 2.0 above gives a map of campus with all of the parking shown in blue. Some are parking lots, like the Katz Hall lot, and some are parking garages or the public street parking on campus.

When doing research about how far people will walk from their parking spot to their destination, I wanted to put theories to the test on campus.

I believed that there was enough parking for UMKC Campus students, but that the parking just is not in great areas. I know that when I pay a lot of money for a parking pass, I would really like to be within a five to seven minute walk of my classes. Shown in Figure 3.0 is a map showing the parking locations radius’ in regards to campus and its amenities. The distance is about .2 miles or about a five minute walk.

Figure 3.0
As you can see, campus parking is actually all within a 5-7 minute walk of campus and its amenities. I was surprised to find this information out. I also wanted to show some sketches of a campus parking garage on Cherry St. and the Katz Hall small lot that most of us park in currently when attending classes on campus in the UPD Program.

Overall, I think it is important to note that campus has a lot of parking and it is all relatively close to classes and other places students need to get to on campus. What a more prevalent issue may be is how to make campus feel more walkable so those 5-7 minutes feel like 2-3 and the walk is smoother to class than it currently is. This could be solved through topographic interventions and other related resources.



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Campus Connectivity

My detailed area study is located near the central part of campus while encompassing some of the South-Western part of campus. Figure 1. Below shows my assigned blocks for the detailed area study. Figure 1. www.googlemaps.com 

I had 51st to 54th street and Grand Ave. to Holmes St. for my assigned area.

Many UMKC resources and facilities are located in the areas of 51st to 54th streets and Grand to Holmes from the East to West as well as non-university development. My area includes the UMKC School of Education, UMKC School of Law, the Linda Hall Library, and the Henry W. Bloch School of Management. These are all active facilities used by UMKC students in the present day and are considered assets of the campus. Another notable structure in my assigned area is the Epperson House located at 5200 Cherry Street. A photo of the Epperson House is shown below in Figure 2. The Epperson House was given to UMKC as a gift in 1940. While it still stands today, it is not currently being used. Epperson House is a great historic asset. I would love to see it repurposed on campus and be used for classes or maybe a study center. 

Figure 2. https://www.bizjournals.com/#

Another important asset to not only campus but also Kansas City, is the Henry W. Bloch school at 5128 Cherry St. Shown below in figure 3 is the Bloch Management School. Mr. Bloch, whom donated the money to build the facility and is also the namesake, is the co-founder of H&R Block Tax Services. (https://bloch.umkc.edu/about-us/) His ability to produce the Bloch Management School gives an opportunity for students to give back to the environment they attended school in due to the degree they were able to obtain at the Bloch school. It benefits the economy this way. 

Another important asset to UMKC campus and students specifically is the Whole Foods located on the bottom floor of Brookside 51 which are apartments located directly east of Brookside Blvd. which is just a short distance from the Student Union. These apartments are in a great location for students to live off campus but they are pretty expensive. They range from $1,455 a month to almost $3,500 and being a student myself, I know this is not affordable. The Whole Foods is valuable because it serves the student housing population as their grocery story without having to travel far or even drive. It is within walking distance to the dorms. 

Along my assigned area is also the Trolley Track Trail to the West of my assigned blocks. This trail sees moderate activity.

During the first weeks of class, I learned that many students commute to UMKC. Few students actually live on campus in dorms. The amount of parking lots at UMKC lock-in this theory that UMKC is a commuter campus/school. In order to help UMKC become a full-encompassed school with many more students living on campus, the student housing options must be improved first. I believe more affordable student housing, even if it isn’t dormitories, would draw students to live closer to campus, therefore being able to walk to campus instead of commuting. UMKC’s sidewalks are in good shape which is important for walkability on campus. They could improve on signage. I have a hard time identifying buildings on campus because some of them you really only catch glimpses of driving by or you see the backside and the name of the building is only on the front. 

On many of my assigned streets there are no bicycle lanes. As a city moving towards environmental sustainability, more students may be inclined to ride bikes on campus or motorized d scooters. Bike lanes would be beneficial. Below in figure 4 is a two-way bike lane at UC Berkley. This allows for some car traffic, foot traffic and bicycle traffic in an organized fashion. I picture this Cherry street, in front of the Student Union shown below in figure 5. Figure 4. 

Figure 5. Implementation of a bike lane on Cherry St. 

Another aspect that makes me feel like some parts of UMKC are “closed off” from the campus are fences and setbacks. Some buildings like the Education building feel setback far from the street and not super inviting, in my opinion. The entrance to this building also feels cold and uninviting. Linda Hall library contains a fence around the building. To me, this signifies the building and land are fenced off and it is lengthy to search for the ONE entrance to the library. I would prefer an entrance like the Miller Nichols Learning Center where the doors are visible from the road. 

All in all, UMKC is definitely a commuter campus. Adding more affordable student housing and dorms along with intricate shared roadways for cars, bikes, and pedestrians would make students feel more willing to embrace the walkability that a campus should have and feel.

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Main and Linwood 2022

What’s next for a key crossing in Midtown?

Main Street between Downtown Kansas City and the Country Club Plaza has a mixed character. At 39th Street and Westport Road it is the entry point of Westport. At other times, Main Street has little or no character – other than that of an arterial trafficway. Concentrations of auto-based uses and parking lots adjacent to the street create a hostile environment to pedestrians. With the advent of the streetcar connection coming in 2024/2025, these voids may soon be targeted for redevelopment. This semester we are asking about the future for Main and Linwood.

What should this corner look like in the future?

How do we build anew without harming existing businesses and residents?

Can we address important issues of inclusion and social justice at this site while increasing neighborhood security and wealth?

Main and Linwood

Visions

Why is now perfect for redevelopment?

Six-Three T Logo; Created by Adair Bright on Adobe Photoshop

When it comes to developing The Landing Site and its immediate surroundings on 63rd and Troost, I had to reflect on my first impressions of the site back in January. When doing so I found that my thoughts concerning the site were to better incorporate the parks and boulevards aesthetic, include the youth in the area, the views out of the site and in to it, and that the topography allows for interesting design choices that are made with clear intentions.

Looking back on my first impressions and the design I was already beginning to formulate, my impressions were shown in the design choices I began to make. I wanted to line both sides of Meyer with trees and had to make sure to not include any retail directly on the boulevard. When it came to addressing the youth, I got stuck because I did not want to put a playground on the site and call it good. I wanted something for all ages of youth to keep teenagers out of trouble and to stimulate young kid’s minds. In order to achieve this, I am planning on including a ton of outdoor furniture intended to be skateboarded on without putting in a skate park. For the young kids, I am planning a center that includes arts and also an open learning center with kids toys. The last two, the views into and out of the site and the topography, go hand in hand and for that, I have decided to include a balcony at the highest point on the landing site so people can see what is actually happening. I have also decided to relate to the U-Drive for the school across Meyer Boulevard by designing my buildings to mimic the U-Drive and including an open green space.

With all of that being said, I have boiled down my design to be the happy medium between structure and leisure. The leisure comes from the inclusion of youth, the open green space, the retail, and the restaurants. The structure comes from the Parks and boulevards Standards and the structure of the buildings. Therefore, I have concluded that the development will be called Six-Three T and will include the logo pictured above for branding.

Elements

Entrance Vibes

When looking at the public realm, I was assigned entrances. I was confused at first because it could mean entrances to buildings, districts, parking lots, private homes, etc. So, I walked the corridor and looked at what it had to offer. I was looking at private home entrances and then thought about how this is elements of the public realm and I wanted to focus more on entrances that could be used by anyone. I focused in on coffee shops/bakeries, restaurants, and office buildings. I started with 2/3 of the photos being on the corridor and then went all throughout Kansas City to see how the same business types compared.

I started to draw theories about entrances so I wanted to go to the Country Club Plaza and see how my theories compared to a part of Kansas City most people consider to be successful. I noticed the Plaza had most of my theories apply and those are what I will explain now.

In all these entrances I noticed things that I thought made a good entrance. I picked put five words – captivating, walkable, inviting, protected, and noticeable. I think an entrance needs to be captivating in order to grab someone’s attention and make them want to see what is inside. That being said, it needs to be walkable, which, to me, means the entrance should be on the sidewalk or close to it. Entrances with big parking lots in front aren’t places you stumble upon but rather a quick errand. It also needs to be inviting because there are places where you feel like you can’t go in because you aren’t from around there or it feels too exclusive. Entrances should also be protected which goes along with the walkability because they need to be protected from cars by having a big green buffer or a row of parking. i noticed along 63rd towards Rockhill I felt very unsafe crossing intersections because the speed limit is so high and there is nothing between me and the cars. However, in Brookside on 63rd I felt safer because of the crosswalks and the street parking to block me. Lastly, entrances need to be noticeable and not blend in with the building. I noticed it more in office buildings where the building will be a few stories high but the door is so small and barely noticeable.

All in all, these are just my theories and what I think is important. the 63rd Street corridor has many successes and some failures just like every other place in Kansas City. This is definitely something I will need to keep in mind when redesigning a part of this corridor.

Analysis, Quick Analysis

History of the landing site

The area around The Landing Mall began as a suburban escape from the urban core. The southern expansion of Kansas City can be noted by curvy streets and larger parking lots. The surrounding neighborhoods were built around the park and boulevards system in Kansas City, making it a desirable place to live when it began. As suspected, the area surrounding the Landing was not very populated in the 1920s but in the 19603, around when the Landing was built, the area became pretty dense. Since then it has seen some demolition of buildings and the ground is less packed.

1963 Figure Ground Map Surrounding The Landing (1″=200′). Made by Adair Bright
2018 Figure Ground Map Surrounding The Landing (1″=200′). Made by Adair Bright
First Impressions

The landing – first impressions

Regional Context Map. Made by: Adair Bright (ArcGis, UMKC)

The Landing Mall, inside the red circle pictured above, is located at Troost Avenue and East Meyer Boulevard in Kansas City, Missouri. It sits on the Parks and Boulevards System and is surrounded by four major streets – Troost, Meyer, 63rd Street, and Paseo. Being about 20 blocks south of The Country Club Plaza, it served as a retail space for the surrounding neighborhood. The mall was built in 1960 and was originally an open-air shopping center – something that can be identified when inside the mall. The mall became enclosed in 1970 and was renamed The New Landing Mall.

The Original Landing. Photo by: Adair Bright (January 23, 2018)

Few pieces of the original Landing still remain but it is enough to preserve and recreate. The sign pictured above is on the east side of the building facing the merge of Meyer Boulevard and the Paseo Boulevard. Having the original signage from the mall facing a boulevard is a positive because of the amount of people on those roads and it provides to opportunity to incorporate the boulevards aesthetic.

Quarter Mile Figure Ground Map. Made by: Adair Bright (ArcGis, UMKC)

The Quarter Mile Figure Ground Map gives an aerial view of the site. The Landing Mall is highlighted in purple and the red circle represents a quarter mile radius from the center of the mall. A quarter mile radius was used because that is generally the distance people would be willing to walk and still consider it convenient. When looking within the circle, there are many bigger buildings which means there is a lot of retail and institutions surrounding The Landing. This is a good thing when considering the neighborhood just south of the circle because all the places within the circle are there to service the residents. There is also a playing field at the school within the circle which shows there is youth in the area.

A Look at Troost. Photo by: Adair Bright (January 23, 2018)

The image above is standing in the parking lot on the south side of the building while looking at Troost Avenue. It is clear from the picture there is a drastic topography change from the lower level to the upper level of the mall. The ramp was closed when the photo was taken so to get to the upper level, we had to walk to the south end of the parking lot to get onto a sidewalk that led north on Troost. This can be a major inconvenience to people because they want the quickest way to get to another place and therefore they will either drive their car to the upper lot or will not even bother coming here. Despite the current lack of good circulation, the topography does create a secluded place for the mall and in turn makes it feel safe. It also would allow for visitors to see a different view of the mall if they were able to look down at it and see the actual design.

Quarter Mile Radius Paved Surfaces Map. Made by: Adair Bright (ArcGis, UMKC)

The main impression I got when visiting The Landing was the extreme amount of parking surface. The map above shows the paved surfaces in the area. The building outline is clearly seen which means the entire lot, besides the building, is a paved surface for vehicles. Also, the map shows the abundance of parking elsewhere within the quarter mile radius. At some point, it was probably believed all the parking would be needed to support the abundance of people, but now, it sits empty. When arriving at The Landing, I was confused as to why the parking lot was so big and once we started walking, I realized just how small it made me feel. The mall and the paved surface appear to take up the same amount of the lot – each about half. This becomes uncomfortable when the Northwest side of the mall is pushed up almost to the street and the Southeast side is all parking. The massing should be reconfigured to less parking just on the outside in order to push the building slightly further towards the outer edge.

Conclusion

The Landing has an amazing location and the topography allows for interesting design choices to be made with clear intentions. However, the paved surface needs to be changed and the parking should be reconfigured. When inside, the mall feels old and sad. There is not a lot of light, the planter boxes are empty, and the store fronts do not have residents. The mall needs renovated while preserving its unique features. The original signage should be kept as a reminder of when it was built but the building should be maintained and turned back into a retail space for the residents it serves.