Re-defining the edge of the City

Greetings from the KCDC studio! We've been busy since our last post, growing in numbers (we had 9 students join the studio!) and advancing the project based on recent feedback and insights. We recently had the pleasure of joining city planner Gunner Hand on a site visit and walking tour from Kaw Point down to Central Avenue. The visit provided an opportunity to discuss both the opportunities and challeges of Kansas City, Kansas; its extant connection to the river and amazing views of downtown KCMO being two of them.

During the site visit with Gunner, we had a great discussion about the edge of the city and how we can better define it. Currently, the city is defined by backyards, empty lots, alleyways, and the frontage of the buildings, which doesn't clearly define the edge. As the group focused on the Kansas City, Kansas riverfront area, our goal is to further define the edge of the city while encouraging circulation to the West Bottoms and investigating the potential connection of Kansas City, Kansas to the riverfront. KCK is just a few blocks away from the river, but the existence of Interstate 70 acts as a wall that blocks the city from the river, hindering many views of the downtown KCMO skyline. One of our primary goals is to mitigate this issue and explore ways to improve the urban fabric without hindering what's currently there.

Historic 1901 map of Kansas City, Kansas

As a result of these observations, the studio is proposing developments that increase a sense of community within KCK and focus more on the pedestrian experience. We plan to pay homage to the historic city grid of KCK in the development of the project, extending the present city grid closer to the river and connecting it down to where we are proposing riverfront development in our design scheme.
We're excited about the possibilities for this project and the opportunity to enhance the urban fabric of KCK. Stay tuned for more updates on our progress!