Performance can be measured by reference to the spatial form of the city and the quality of spaces, recognizing that local context is often the primary influence on development and redevelopment. Previous developments and proposals can serve as a basis for what established place there originally.
An environment can be used to communicate the past and the present that form an extended pattern. Patterns in time are often celebrated, with holidays and the seasonal shifts, often influencing the uses of public and private spaces. The dimensions identified by Lynch are not too rigid or prescriptive to resist changing qualities of the environment. The consideration of a temporal factor in the identified dimensions of performance makes them consider needs of future development and anticipated challenges.
The absolute of future development for the Valentine neighborhood is construction of more housing units, with diversity in housing stock comparable to what was available in the neighborhood’s past. Small apartments, ranging in 3 to 6 units, comprised the majority of units in structure in Valentine.
Lighting is necessary to visually experience and interpret our surroundings. Consideration must be given to the position of the sun to plan for lighting needs at all times of day.
Lighting elements should be contribute to a well-developed streetscape, even during daytime. Ornate lighting, like the above photo from Chesterfield, can establish a sense of place. An appearance resembling historic lighting poles and genuinely historic lighting helps pedestrians be immersed in the composite of the many elements of the public realm.
The Valentine neighborhood lacks historic lighting, with pole-mounted LED cobra lights being the most common lighting used for streets and sidewalks. These lights are directly over streets, leaving them better lit than adjacent sidewalks.
Existing Lighting in North Valentine, as depicted in the above map, is concentrated on the north side of blocks. This is likely due to the north side of structures in the Northern Hemisphere always being in shadow, requiring more light in lieu of sunlight.
The orientation of the remaining structures to face east or west provides ample natural lighting from the sun to the south, east, and west sides of the structure east.
As the sun’s position moves throughout the year, the north side of structures may be cast in longer shadows that stretch the span of the street. Ample lighting is needed on the north side of structures to establish a comfortable environment, comparable to the south facing side of the structure. The south facing side is appealing to pedestrians for the warmth, increased visibility, and intention is design given to south facing sides of a structure.
The beginning of fixed route transit service to the Valentine neighborhood began October 1, 1889 as the Washing and Summit cable car line
• Provided access from West Bottoms to Downtown and the north side of the Valentine neighborhood
• Ran from Union Depot on Ninth to Washington. Washington to about 13th-14th Streets, continuing on13th-14th Summit Street. Summit Street to 29th Street
• Service was reduced to Southwest Boulevard in early 1901
Source: KC History https://kclibrary.org/art-objects/map-greater-kansas-city-suburbs
In 1920 the Valentine neighborhood was served by the 21 Jackson-Roanoke streetcar route
• Service on the streetcar route from 1910’s
• Destination sign would read Jackson – 24th on Northbound trip
• Destination sign would read Roanoke – 45th or Summit – 39th on Southbound trip
• Streetcar service along Summit Street until widening and repaving of Summit Street in 1951
In 1944 the Valentine neighborhood was served by the 57 Jackson-Roanoke streetcar route
• Service continued from 21 streetcar route from 1910’s
• Destination sign would read Jackson – 24th on Northbound trip
• Destination sign would read Roanoke – 45th or Summit – 39th on Southbound trip
• Streetcar service along Summit Street until widening and repaving of Summit Street in 1951
Source: KC History https://kchistory.org/image/broadway-boulevard-valentine-road-0
Streetcar service along Broadway Boulevard concluded in 1940’s
• Routes 4 and 48 provided service on Broadway Boulevard from 1920’s to 1940’s
• Route 4 ran from Ward Parkway and 59th Street to Belleview Avenue, winding on Westport Road and Broadway Boulevard to Downtown
• Route 48 ran from Downtown along Broadway Boulevard to 39th Street, providing service east-west between State Line Road and Broadway
Broadway Boulevard is serviced by a single bus route, traveling from the Plaza to Armour
• Begins at the Plaza Transit Center, travelling up Broadway Boulevard and turning East onto ArmourBoulevard
• Runs on Armour Boulevard / 35th Street to Van Brunt, returning from Van Brunt Loop
• Connects St Luke’s Hospital to the Kansas City VA Medical Center along a dense residential corridor
• Route 35 has 435 daily riders in January 2026
Main MAX service was rerouted to Broadway Boulevard for nearly ten years
• Provided 20-minute headways either direction from Waldo to River Market and Columbus Park
• Travelled along Grand Boulevard through Downtown, on Pershing Road, turning onto Penn Valley Drive / Broadway Boulevard
• Ran from 5AM to 12AM from Monday – Saturday
• Reduced service on Sundays
The Main Street Extension of the KC Streetcar replaced Main Max service
• Operates at 10-12 minute frequencies
• Runs from 5 AM to 12 AM Monday-Thursday
• Runs from 5 AM to 1 AM Friday and Saturday
• Runs from 6AM to 12AM Sunday
• Connects River Market to South Plaza, UMKC
• Encourages Transit Oriented Development (TOD) on the Main Street Corridor
• 7,873 daily riders in January 2026
RideKC Route 31 provides East-West connectivity on the 31st Street Corridor at 15 minute frequencies
• 15 minute frequencies make it the most frequent bus route in the state of Missouri
• Not the most frequent bus corridor (Prospect Avenue)
• Runs from 5 AM to 12 AM Monday-Saturday
• Runs from 5 AM to 10 PM on Sunday
• Connects southern Independence to the core of Kansas City
• 1,931 daily riders in January 2026
Route 39 provides East-West transit on the 39th Street Corridor
• Operates at 30 minute frequencies
• Runs from 5 AM to 12 AM Monday-Saturday
• Runs from 5 AM to 10 PM on Sunday
• Connects KU Medical Center and Volker / Roanoke Neighborhoods to the East Side
• Deviation to VA Medical Center
• 584 daily riders in January 2026
Where access is provided, pedestrian and sidewalk infrastructure is well designed
• Southwest Trafficway has few points to cross the roadway
• Certain streets have unsafe crossings
• Road diets to Main Street and Broadway Boulevard have improved walking conditions along the respective corridors
• New tree plantings in the neighborhood will provide shade and clean air
Waverly Way, the original name of 34th Terrace, once had a both face blocks composed of six-plexes and single family homes. It is now lined by parking lots with distant structures. The series of pictures below depict a row of six-plexes that were on the south side of the street, as documented in the 1940 Tax Assessors photos.
The consolidation of parcels has permitted development with a larger form than previously allowed by right. The block to the north and the block to the south of 34th Terrace were once composed of 37 separate parcels in total, being consolidated to just 8 parcels now. Three institutions on these 8 parcels dedicate more land area to surface lot parking than their building footprint.
Public institutions and private agencies have each expanded the area of land they own in the Valentine neighborhood, turning residential streets into under developed or completely undeveloped land. The rehabilitation of the remaining structures, which are now nearing 100 years old, would likely have exceedingly high costs to complete as well.
The built environment of the Valentine neighborhood reflects the economic and political powers of the neighborhood. KC Life Insurance Company is the primary land owner of the neighborhood in 2026, but several decades ago the company was just a single stakeholder of many. Now, the company is the primary stakeholder too.
Population density has declined through the history of the neighborhood, with attrition of density and available housing stock being a result of the ever-expanding KC Life Insurance.
As the primary land owner of the neighborhood, KC Life Insurance Company has had the greatest opportunity to shape the urban fabric it exists in. Through decades of property acquisition and subsequent demolition, the company has increased its reach radially from the original building.
Though attrition of aging housing stock is natural when lacking home-owner repair programs from the city, a disproportionate number of historic structures have been demolished by KC Life Insurance than those structures owned by individuals.
Source: Google Earth
In place of the apartments on the north side of Knickerbocker sits an expanded KC Life Insurance Company, as pictured on the right side of the above street view. The area of property owned by the company has more than tripled since its origin, spanning six separate blocks. However, the expansion of the company’s complex has been isolated to a single block.
KC Life Insurance will continue to be a primary stake holder in the Valentine neighborhood as it is the agency that owns much of the property in the neighborhood.
