Green System
74 Linwood Blvd.
Independence Ave
Park Space
75th St.
63rd St.
Brush Creek
While greenspace is not necessarily lacking in the Prospect Corridor, functional and safe parks and recreational spaces are not present and remain leftover or unprogrammed. Many young people choose to hang out on vacant land instead of parks due to known safety issues. Parks have more functional presence and positive associations on the north end of the Prospect Corridor, while they are under-programmed and have negative associations on the central and southern areas of the Corridor.
75
Park Access The infrastructural parks of Kansas City were originally planned by the commissioned landscape architect George Kessler. He aligned public greenspace with major waterways and topography. The most significant park space on Prospect is the Brush Creek corridor, but most residents feel it is too dangerous for their kids to play there or to go walking or running. Other major green spaces are boulevards, which are unprogrammed and serve more of a visual or infrastructural purpose. There is still a significant lack of recreational park space that is within walking distance of Prospect Avenue.
76
Independence Ave.
Linwood Blvd.
Brush Creek
63rd St.
75th St.
Park Access
Areas lacking park space in Prospect Corridor
Areas lacking park space on Prospect Avenue 77
Community 78
Library/Museum
Educational
Childcare
Medical
Religious
Service Access Independence Ave.
Linwood Blvd.
There is an extreme imbalance in the availability of food, recreational, healthcare, green space, and community services within the Prospect Corridor. There are eight community centers, three libraries / museums, thirteen educational centers, eleven childcare centers, and eighty-seven religious institutions within walking distance from Prospect Avenue. The medical programs are primarily concentrated at the Research Medical Center on Meyer Boulevard, with four small pharmacies or other medical services in the Corridor. Although a hospital and research center can serve as community anchors, it is a regional service surrounded by vacant land that does not necessarily directly impact the accessibility to health services on Prospect. To understand the relationships of these services have to one another the studio mapped the blocks where each of them are missing and overlaid them to see where the most significant gaps were. There are large dark patches mostly on the south end of Prospect Avenue, but the Corridor as a whole lacks services that are needed for communities to be vibrant places to live, work, and play.
Brush Creek
63rd St.
75th St.
Overlay of areas lacking services 79
Fresh Food Sources
Grocery / Market 80
Grocery / Market
Local Restaurants
Overlay 81
Other Food Sources
Bar / Lounge 82
Chain Fast Food
Convenience Store
Overlay 83
Fresh Food Access Food in the Prospect Corridor is more likely to be bought from a convenience store rather than a grocery store. There are twenty-two small community gardens within walking distance from Prospect Avenue, demonstrating an initiative for wanting to diversify food sources. There are ten markets or grocery stores and two public food resources (such as a soup kitchen or an open greenhouse) where fresh food can be found. There are thirty-nine locally-owned restaurants that are a mix between fresh and fast food. There are seven fast food chains, three bars or lounges, and a whopping thirty-eight convenience stores. Recent grocery developments have altered the classification of the Prospect Corridor to no longer be a food desert, but there are still prominent areas where access to fresh, affordable food is in dire need.
Selected text adapted from a report by Rachel Rankin
84
Independence Ave.
Linwood Blvd.
Brush Creek
63rd St.
75th St.
Primary segments lacking fresh food 85
86
Demographics The demographics were studied to understand the socioeconomic elements at play in the Prospect Corridor. The focus of this study was employment and race in addition to the lasting impacts of redlining the area. These influence the implications of creating a healthy live-work corridor. Prospect Avenue is currently zoned a primarily commercial street, but the building vacancy and lack of local businesses negatively impacts employment rates. Further development and investment into the community would create opportunities for more accessible jobs and worker conditions.
87
Kansas City Employment Worker Age 23% 21% Age 55+ Age <30
109,089
56% Age 30 to 54
Age 29 or younger
Age 30 to 54
283,548 PEOPLE WORK IN AREA Age 55 or older
Jobs by Earnings / mo
Worker Race 2% - Asian
16% < $1,250
16% Black
2% - Multiple
50% > $3,333 33% $1,251 - $3,333
$1,250 per month or less
80% White
white
$1,251 to $3,333 per month
More than $3,333 per month
Worker Gender
black
n
asian
other
51% Male
179,805
Worker Education
Le s s
Hi g h
23% Advanced Degree tha n
23% - High School, No College 25%
hi g h sc Some college hoo Som l or e e co q uiv ll eg Bac ale Male Female eo hel nt, r AsSector oJobs no by r 's s EdKC oci c ol de g uca a le g te d ree tion e egr or a a l ee Health Care and Social Assistance atta dv a Health Care, Social Asst. nce i nm dd ent al, Scientific, and Technical Scientific,Services Technical Services egr not ee ava Accommodation and Food Services 8.7% Accommodation, Food Services il ab le ( wo Retail Trade Retail Trade rke 7.6% rs a Finance and Insurance 6.9% ge d Finance, Insurance 29 or y Public Administration 6.8% Public Administration oun sch
LIVE OUTSIDE THE CITY, COME IN FOR WORK
8% - Less than High School
21% No Data 49% Female
212, 832 WORKERS LIVE IN AREA
LIVE IN CITY, LEAVE FOR WORK
103,743
ool
EducationalEducational Services 6.0% Services Manufacturing 5.6% Manufacturing aste ManagementAdmin and Remediation Support, Waste Mgmt 5.5% Wholesale Trade Wholesale Trade 5.1% TransportationTransportation, and WarehousingWarehousing 4.9% ConstructionConstruction 4.0% Mgmt and of Companies, ment of Companies Enterprises Enterprises 3.6% Other es (excluding Public Administration) 2.7% Information Information 2.5% Arts, Entertainment, and Recreation 2.3% 88 and Rental and Leasing Real Estate 1.8%
10.6%
14.5%
ger )
Kansas City Employment Heat Map
LIVE AND WORK IN THE CITY
Prospect Corridor Employment Worker JobsAge by Worker Age
Independence Ave.
15% 29% Age <30 Age 55+
15,540 WORKERS LIVE IN AREA 10,868 PEOPLE WORK IN AREA
56% Age 30 to 54
Age 29 or younger
Age 30 to 54
14,559
Age 55 or older
Jobs byJobs Earnings by Earnings /mo
2% - Asian
17% < $1,250 51% > $3,333
$1,250 / month or less
2% - Multiple
More than $3,333 / month
Male
White Alone
981 LIVE AND WORK IN THE CORRIDOR
Black or African American Alone
Asian Alone Jobs byWorker Worker Education Educational Attainment
Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander Alone
Two or More Race Groups
8% - Less than High School
15% No Data
38% Male
Female
62% White
American Indian or Alaska Native Alone
Worker JobsGender by Worker Sex
62% Female
Linwood Blvd.
33% Black
32% $1,251 - $3,333
$1,251 to $3,333 / month
LIVE IN CORRIDOR, LEAVE FOR WORK
Worker Race Jobs by Worker Race
28% Advanced Degree
22% High School, No College
26% Some college
9,887 LIVE OUTSIDE CORRIDOR, COME IN FOR WORK
Less than high Jobs by Industry Sector Prospect Jobs by school Sector High school or equivalent, no college
Health CareCare, and Social Assistance Health Social Asst.
Some college or Associate degree
Public Administration Public Admin. Educational Services Educational Services RetailTrade Trade Retail, Manufacturing Manufacturing Construction Construction Other Services (excluding Public Administration) Other Accommodation Food and Food Services Accommodation, Services Administration & Support, Waste Management andâ&#x20AC;¦ Admin. Support, Waste Mgmt. Wholesale WholesaleTrade Trade Finance, Insurance Finance and Insurance Scientific, Services Professional, Scientific,Technical and Technical Services Real Leasing Real Estate andEstate, Rental and Leasing
Brush Creek
41.3%
19.4%
63rd St.
Bachelor's degree or advanced degree 8.0% 5.7%Educational attainment not available (workers aged 29 or younger) 5.3% 3.8% 3.4% 2.8% 2.6% 2.2% 1.5% 1.3%
75th St.
1.2%
Prospect Corridor Employment Heat Map 89
Prospect Working and Living Travel There are more people living in the Prospect Corridor than working in it, while most of the people working in the Prospect Corridor do no live there. Research Medical Center on Meyer Boulevard & Prospect Avenue is the largest single employer in the Corridor, but almost none of the employees live nearby. A similar situation exists at Alphapointe, and these two prominent social and healthcare resources are why 41% of the people employed in the Prospect Corridor work in the healthcare / social assistance sector, another 19.6% in the public administration sector, and another 8% in the educational sector. A majority of people who either live or work within the Prospect Corridor travel west for their employment and are white, despite the residents being almost exclusively African-American. The discrepancies between the workers and the residents as well as the regional medical centers influenced the studios’ design proposals and understanding of the Prospect Corridor. It is a focal point of urban design that community-oriented development where people can live, work, and play in walkable neighborhoods leads to healthier lifestyles and happier residents.
Home Locations of Prospect’s Workers of Workers Home Location
Home of Workers ! 1Location 1 !
! !
1
22 2
! 33 ! 3 ! 44
!
! !
4
55 5
Work Locations of Resident Workplace Destinations Prospect’s ResidentResidents Workplace Destinations ! !
1-2
11--22
! 33 -- 66 ! 3-6
! !
7 - 12
12 77--12
! 131313---202020
! 90
21---55 55 21 21 55
Independence Ave.
Linwood Blvd.
Brush Creek
63rd St.
75th St.
Most people leave Prospect for work
Most travel west for jobs 91
Racial Changes
Black White
1940 92
1960
1980
Independence Ave.
Linwood Blvd.
Brush Creek
63rd St.
Black White 75th St.
Asian Other
2000
Prospect Corridor Racial Breakdown, 2015 93
Changing Demographics The racial makeup of the Prospect Corridor has changed drastically over the course of its history. In the early 1900sthe Corridor was predominantly a white rural and suburban community. Through the 1940s it transformed into a predominantly African-American area as the population decreased and “white flight” occurred. Neighborhoods in Kansas City’s East Side were often victim to block-busting, a practice where real estate agents would persuade white homeowners to sell their property cheaply by stirring up fear that racial minorities were moving in. This paired with the exit of the African American middle class created the blighted neighborhood condition seen today.
Redlining Impacts Redlining had both physical and social implications for The Corridor that can still be seen today. Rates of vacancy are higher, housing unit values are lower, more homes are being rented rather than owned, and there is a clear racial divide that follows the lines created by the redlining maps. The redlining of this area was a tool for segregation and disinvestment. Redlining had consequences in the 40s when it was federal policy and the impact of the policy and its consequences can still be seen in today’s maps of Kansas City.
Housing Unit Value 94
Race
Rent or Owned Property
Vacancy 95
96
Site Analysis Conclusion Spatially, the Prospect Avenue Corridor provides somewhat of a blank slate for intervention opportunities and development. The analysis determined that there is an unclear definition and vision to the corridor, due to the lack of cohesion and visibility of Prospect Avenue. There are social and economic challenges to overcome, resulting from the contextual history of being systemically disenfranchised or disregarded, which provides an explanation for the physical conditions visible throughout the Corridor. Proposing spaces that are made for all residents, promote the community, and encourage diversity is key to future development.
97
VISION FRAMEWORK The Prospect Avenue Vision Framework was developed to focus the scope of the studio project. A study of Prospect Avenue had to start in context and had to establish how it was different from the several other plans that had previously looked at the area. The vision framework helped to establish the study boundary and the vision, mission, and goals of the studio. These elements, based on the physical and social context of the area made the study specific and gave it a clear purpose. A variety of plans and initiatives were reviewed as a part of the vision framework to gain further understanding of the Prospect Corridor. The TOD policy provided valuable recommendations and the 1/8th cents sales tax helped develop the project boundary. Other plans helped provide a source for understanding attitudes in the area while also providing an overview of previous goals. The review of previous documentation established context for the study and allowed an early understanding of key ideas that were already in place.
100
Central City (1/8 Cent) Sales Tax
Community Improvement District
UR 353
Neighborhood Improvement Program
Tax Improvement District
Urban Renewal
Financial Incentives Several Incentives are available for developments in the Prospect Corridor. These include the Central City Sales Tax, Community Improvement Districts (CIDs), UR 353, the Neighborhood Improvement Program, Tax Improvement District, Urban Renewal, Planned Industrial Expansion, Revive the East Side, Opportunity Zones, and Enterprise Zones. Each of these different incentives were made to help promote and catalyze development, specifically in under-served areas.
Planned Industrial Expansion
Revive the East Side
Opportunity Zones
Enterprise Zone 101
The Central City Economic Development Sales Tax is a one-eighth-cent sales tax expected to generate about $10 million annually, which will be used for economic development projects along the Prospect Avenue corridor. The tax will help make new projects feasible. It is mainly about encouraging redevelopment along Prospect, which is directly centered within the boundary. Community improvement districts (CIDs) are political subdivisions of the state or not-for-profit corporations which, depending on their structure, may impose assessments and taxes within contiguous geographic boundaries. Authorized by state statute, a CID is created when a majority of property owners (calculated by both assessed value and per capita) submit a proper petition to the city clerk, and the City Council holds a public hearing and adopts an ordinance establishing the CID. State statutes impose scheduled budgeting and reporting duties on CIDs. Each CID must match the cityâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s fiscal year and annually submit a budget to the city council, formally adopt a budget, report on revenues and expenditures, and submit written resolutions. The Chapter 353 Program was created to assist in the removal of blight and blighting conditions by providing local property tax abatement to development projects located within a 353 Area. Assistance may be provided in the form of real property tax abatement on improvements up to 75 percent for a 10-year period and 37.5 percent for a 15-year period. Tax improvement districts are areas where Tax Increment Financing (TIF) is available to finance a project. This style of financing is a development tool that encourages the development of blighted, substandard and economically underutilized areas that would not be developed without public investment. The use of this tool allows future real property taxes and other taxes generated by new development to pay for public infrastructure construction and other improvement costs. TIF may only be used for redevelopment projects that would not be reasonably expected to occur without the assistance of TIF.
102
KCMO Incentives 103
The Urban Renewal, or Land Clearance for Redevelopment Authority (LCRA) has served as the City’s urban renewal agency since 1951. Authorized by Missouri state statutes, the LCRA encourages redevelopment through the removal of blight and blighting conditions within designated Urban Renewal Areas (URA) and has leveraged millions of dollars of investment in Kansas City, Missouri. Project assistance may include up to 75% real property tax abatement on property improvements for up to 10 years, land assembly, or power of eminent domain. The Planned Industrial Expansion Authority (PIEA) offers incentives to encourage investment to remove blight and blighting conditions within PIEA planning areas. Project assistance may include up to 25 years of tax abatement or sales tax exemption on construction materials during the construction process. Revive the east side identifies $10 million for a home improvement and economic development fund, establish a pilot program to reduce illegal dumping, streamline the application process for projects, and appropriate $3 million for preservation or reconstruction of dangerous buildings. The boundary of “the east side” is an area generally enclosed by 4th Street on the north, 95th Street on the south; Troost Avenue on the west; and the City’s corporate boundaries on the east; and those areas included within the Ruskin neighborhoods of south Kansas City. The goal of the initiative is to encourage and incentivize development on the east side of Kansas City. The Opportunity Zones Program encourages long-term investment and job creation in low-income areas of the state, by allowing investors to reinvest unrealized capital gains in designated census tracts. The provision temporary defers the inclusion in gross income for capital gains that are reinvesting into Opportunity Funds and it excludes from taxable income capital gains on Opportunity Fund investments held for at least 10 years. Investors can roll existing capital gains into Opportunity Funds with no up-front tax bill. If investors hold their Opportunity Fund investments for five years, the basis of their original investment is increased by 10 104
percent (meaning they will only owe taxes on 90 percent of the rolledover capital gains.) If investors hold for seven years, the basis increases by a further five percent. The Enhanced Enterprise Zone (EEZ) program provides property tax abatement on improvements made to real property to new or expanding businesses that locate in an Enhanced Enterprise Zone.Projects that qualify for the Enhanced Enterprise Zone tax abatement may receive a standard abatement of 50 percent property tax abatement for a 10year period for improvements made to real property. Any amount beyond the standard abatement requires a financial analysis by EDCKC and approval by the EEZ Board and City Council. To qualify for EEZ, your project must be located in an Enhanced Enterprise Zone, invest a minimum of $100,000, create a minimum of two new, full-time jobs, and have an average annual wage for new employees at or above 80 percent of the county average wage. Two other incentives relevant to the whole study area are EDC Loan Corporation Revolving Loan Fund and Federal New Market Tax Credits. The EDC Revolving Loan Fund is an alternative for small businesses located within the city limits of Kansas City, Missouri, spending less than $500,000 for fixed assets. The typical finance structure is 10 percent equity, 50 percent from a commercial bank, and 40 percent (up to $200,000 outstanding per borrower) from the revolving loan fund. The Federal New Market Tax Credits (NMTC) may be available to eligible businesses providing non-traditional financing for capital investments made by businesses and for the development of mixed-use, commercial, industrial and housing projects in distressed areas.
105
Independence Ave.
Key Coalition URA: Target Area Neighborhood Plan 63rd St. Corridor General Development Plan Key Coalition Urban Renewal Plan
Linwood Blvd.
Ivanhoe Neighborhood Plan Ivanhoe - Mount Hope Key Coalition Neighborhood Assessment Report Blue Hills Neighborhood Plan Town Fork Creek Neighborhood Plan
Brush Creek
Prospect Corridor Initiative KC-CUR 63rd St.
Vine St. District Economic Development Plan We Are Marlborough Prosperity Playbook Blueprint KC
75th St.
Heart of the City Area Plan Central City Sales Tax District Prospect Corridor Development Implementation Strategy KCMO Community Initiatives 106
Swope Area Plan
Planning & Community Initiatives The Prospect Corridor and its context have a historic legacy of community disinvestment, but public entities have been handling initiatives and policies to help improve Kansas Cityâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s East Side in the last two decades. In terms of the selected site area, the plans that are most directly related to this project are: Central City Sales Tax District, Prospect Corridor Initiative, and Prosperity Playbook Blueprint KC. There are many others in varying scales, from the entire metropolitan to a plan for a single block. These plans acknowledge the history and struggles of the East Side while looking into the future with design proposals, policy solutions, and community input. The big takeaways are needing more diverse housing options and prices, increasing safety and security, encouraging pedestrian and street activity, improving drainage and infrastructure, activating dead space, programming parks and greenspace, expanding multi-modal transportation, enhancing appearance and aesthetics, and a desire to change the embedded perceptions of the area.
City Planning & Development Department 2016 Annual report FOCUS Kansas City Building Blocks reBUILD KC/neighborhoods 1947 Kansas City Master Plan
107
108
Ivanhoe-Mount Hop Key Coalition
Blue Hills Neighborhood Plan
Town Fork Creek Neighborhood Plan
We Are Marlborough
Prosperity Playbook Blueprint KC
Heart of the City Area Plan
Prospect Corridor Initiative
Vine St. District Economic Plan
KC-CUR
Central City Sales Tax
Prospect Corridor Development
Swope Area Plan 109
VISION
Formulate a community-based platform that establishes a cohesive urban concept for the future of Prospect, leveraging the corridor as a uniquely desirable community within Kansas City’s urban fabric.
MISSION
Create a conceptual framework through the identification, evaluation, and exploration of the current conditions defining the Prospect Corridor. The intent is to encourage social connections and economic growth through strategic design intervention and development policies. Catalytic nodes are selected for strategic prototyping using the conceptual framework.
GOALS
Propose and test a design platform for: —— cultural identity development —— safety and security —— diverse, affordable, and quality housing —— economic opportunity —— environmental quality —— alternative TOD strategies —— reintegration of Prospect into greater KC area
110
Vision Framework The project looked at and tested urban development and ongoing community plans along Prospect Avenue. Prospect is a significant and defining corridor within Kansas Cityâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s urban structure, and needs to be strengthened to be a unique and coherent urban element that is conceptually and functionally related to the larger city context. The central aim of the project was to produce a vision for the avenue while emphasizing the corridor and the districtâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s urban qualities that are catalytic in promoting future development and positive transformation of the related urban context. Research-based analysis, including visual experience, physical characteristics, land use, transportation, history, and economic opportunities, formed the foundation for a comprehensive analysis. Project Phases: 1. Verification of an operational urban design concept 2. A strategic segmented study of urban design visioning 3. Focused nodal design studies
111
Independence Ave.
Linwood Blvd.
Brush Creek
63rd St.
75th St.
5-Minute Walk Inner Boundary 112
Established Study Boundary
Boundary Development The outer boundary is based on the neighborhoods that touch Prospect and other major north-south corridors that run parallel to Prospect. It is roughly Cleveland Ave and I-70 to the east, and The Paseo to the west. The north and south boundaries consider the properties to the north of Independence Ave and to the south of 75th Street. This boundary is used for studies related to the larger context, and not as directly related to Prospect Avenue itself. This type of information includes census data, community connectedness, neighborhoods, districts, employment, infrastructure, transit, topography, geomorphology, parcel ownership, greenery, building use blocks, etc.
Prospect Neighborhoods
Infrastructural Barriers
Census Track Blocks 113
COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT An effective study and design of an urban community can not be done without community engagement. As a part of the project process, the Kansas City Design Center students had two community meetings on the Prospect Avenue Corridor. These meetings were meant to provide new perspectives and insights from the people who spend the most time on The Corridor and to engage with stakeholders. Project community engagement provided feedback on both the concept and design phase of the project.
116
Studio Public Meetings Community and stakeholder engagement was key to understanding community wants and needs. Along with the community meetings hosted by the studio, the Prospect North group hosted one meeting and the South Prospect team spent time meeting with stakeholders. Representatives from the project also attended Prospect Business Association meetings and invited their representatives to the studio. On Wednesday March 6, 2019 the studio had a community meeting with four attendees at the East Patrol Police Campus at 26th and Prospect. This meeting was structured with a background presentation followed by a gallery style open house with maps, images, and models. The primary goals were to confirm the concept, gain more local insight, and receive direction for design. The attendees provided valuable local knowledge to the project, as well as advice to get more attendees in the future. The second full studio community meeting was on April 11, 2019 at Gregg/Klice Community Center at 17th and Vine. The key ideas discussed were the studioâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s design iterations. This meeting had the same format of the first with a brief presentation of key findings, followed by a gallery style open house. The groups each presented several ideas to community members and asked for reactions and suggestions as they moved forward. About 30 people attended this public meeting. North Prospect had a community meeting on Wednesday March 27, 2019 also at the Gregg/Klice Community Center. While two people showed up for the actual meeting, the group improvised by taking the material to the foyer of the community center and intercepted people for brief comments about the concept and design. A presentation was given to the attendees which described the research done in the community and took a deeper look at the concept for North Prospect. This meetingâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s success came from the teamâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s adaptability to attain key community input and comments through the differing formats available to participants. Prospect South did not host a separate meeting, but attended meetings for the Marlborough and Blenheim neighborhoods at Research Medical Center, as well as the outreach staff at the hospital. 117
NORTH PROSPECT
Widen the streets and sidewalk and implement things to slowdown the traffic.
Try to keep a clear residential look to Prospect. Southeast corner of Truman and Prospect could use a façade incentive.
INFILL
See’s Prospect as urban, wants it to look urban not suburban strip malls.
PROSPECT AVENUE NODAL STUDY
COMMUNITY MEETING FEEDBACK Not enough low-cost food locations. Utilize duplexes to fill in some vacancies.
Make sure there are plenty of eyes on the trail at all points to keep people safe back there.
SOUTH PROSPECT
118
Add places to go within walking distance of the child development center for staff.
BRUSH CREEK
Community Engagement Conclusion The community is aware of the blight along Prospect Avenue. In every conversation we have had, members of the community are excited to see that the city is taking an interest in their neighborhoods. They are worried about gentrification, but generally they are more interested in seeing development than they are worried. They want it to be affordable, but from what we have seen so far people donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t seem to be threatened by potential development. The community wants to see development and in Pendleton Heights specifically, neighbors are interested in seeing more density on the intersection of Independence Avenue and Prospect Avenue. Through our meetings, it became clear that the main concern the community has is being left out of decision making. They know the history of their neighborhoods and they want to see development come in, but they want to be a player in development as it happens. They want to know that the development happening in their community is for them and they want a say in changes that happen in the area. Community members want to live in a more walkable neighborhood and want to see their community develop. They want to see new amenities move into the area that help push their community forward. They currently are interested in seeing redevelopment and for the most part are focused on revitalizing. Although most members of the community did not comment on the potential for gentrification, some stakeholders who had more experience working in development or with disenfranchised residents did raise concerns. At the last community meeting a woman who worked with people who had code violations raised some concerns, but Angela, a planner at The City and a member of our advisory board, mentioned that The City is putting measures in place to require affordable housing, specifically they are requiring 10% of all units that use incentive money from The City to be affordable. There is clearly a desire for redevelopment along the northern part of Prospect Avenue. 119
Future Development (53):
NP -all about expanding 18th and vine to Truman – use the same
NP, ALL - concern for gentrification
design and look for the area.
NP, ALL -really liked the idea of mixed use with retail and
NP, ALL -attract affluent young professionals into the environment
residential at a medium density
NP - do something on the opposite corner of the CVS – make sure
NP, ALL - more green spaces, equal access to public access to
it involves a memorial for firefighter and more density
green space
NP, ALL -look in to opportunity zones
INFILL - would like to see more residential infill than commercial
NP -Think innovation and technology, a school for tech, coding,
INFILL, ALL -Could focus development by bus stops
robots, pushing people into the future, a community incubator
INFILL, ALL -Time-INFILLe of Prospect MAX should inform
INFILL, ALL – investigate a way to repaint and restore things by
developments
adding color from a color study
INFILL -Try to make the area more suburban than urban
INFILL - “I can see higher development here because we already
INFILL – Commercial images are not liked.
see Palestine and so another building wouldn’t make a difference”
INFILL -Try to keep a clear residential look to prospect
(Site 1)
INFILL -Likes the idea of park-like infill (10)
INFILL - Be careful with creating too much open space on this site
INFILL, ALL -See’s prospect as urban, wants it to look urban not
because the unfenced area of Palestine attracts “parties” (Site 1)
suburban strip malls
INFILL – likes high density development that is low impact, such
BRUSH, ALL -Not enough low-cost food locations
as 4-plex and 6-plex (Site 1)
BRUSH, ALL -More restaurants
INFILL - “I really like the scale of the building and bringing the
BRUSH, ALL -Would like to see a spot somewhere in/near brush
parking to the back is a good idea” (Site 3)
creek for fresh food to be sold as well as a community garden.
INFILL - High Density OK, because there’s similar development
SP -Add more daycare centers
nearby (Site 3)
______________________________________________________Meeting Two
INFILL - Adding a service alley is a good idea because it will give
NP - Truman and Prospect are too busy, the streets are too wide,
resident’s more freedom (Site 4)
build a bridge across Truman
BRUSH - Doesn’t think the space under the bridge near the hotel
NP, ALL - biggest issue is walkability and Truman and prospect are
is safe or would be utilized
too focused on the vehicle
BRUSH -Would like to have access to green space, to serve as
NP -Cap the highway – we need more green in this area
community gathering space.
NP -Truman not good for residential right now
BRUSH -Wants green space in-between most of the multifamily
NP, ALL -walkability is important (20)
units (40)
NP, ALL - the streets are too narrow, not bikeable, kilINFILLg the
BRUSH, SP - incorporate trails that flow between the units that
residential development bc people drive way too fast
then lead to a nice community park
NP, ALL - widen the streets and sidewalk and implement things to
SP – further investigate what kind of retail would be implemented?
slowdown the traffic
SP -Make sure there are plenty of eyes on the trail at all points to
NP -vehicular is very connected over the highway and walking is
keep people safe back there.
not comfortable
SP - utilize duplexes to fill in some vacancies
NP -south east corner of Truman and prospect could use a façade
SP – investigate alternative financing methods for home
incentive
ownership.
NP, ALL -it currently is not pet friendly and should be
BRUSH, ALL -Not enough colors that are familiar to the people living on Brush Creek. Would like to see more Red, Black and
120
Green
NP - the guy who works at the corner of Truman and Prospect
INFILL -Neighborhood – business – neighborhood – business
hires local and has been there 60 years
SP, ALL - Emphasize locally owned when talking to community
Reactions: (meeting two) (17)
members. They will want to know that they won’t be bombarded
ALL- “don’t tell us what we want.” Hear what we have to say and
with high end retail chains that they can’t afford to shop at.
use it.
SP - Would be nice to know that resource to help with orchards
ALL - “we have enough gardens”
are readily accessible and people are wilINFILLg to help out if
ALL- “how many people will lose their homes based on their
need be.
inability to pay”
________________________________________________________PBA Meeting
INFILL -Expect some backlash from the community
ALL – existing affordable housing units should be preserved, and
INFILL -“I’m not opposed to something like this [6 story mixed
new affordable units should be developed alongside market rate
use] because it’s on 39th street which is closer to the higher
ALL – every new project needs community approval
development.”
___________________________________________________Hospital Meeting
INFILL – Keep the scale and repetition of the design on 40th and
PS – RMC needs places for out-of-towners to stay, and employees
Prospect
want to live closer to work
INFILL - topological concerns about the alleyway
PS – “Hospitals are community-based” – John Krajicek
INFILL - moving the parking to the back is a good move. SP, ALL -there is a lack of services and amenities in the area
Concept (5):
BRUSH -Doesn’t go down to Brush Creek (safety) (10)
NP -positive responses to 18th and vine connecting to this area
SP, ALL – tailor services on Prospect to fit the community on
NP, ALL- responded positively to the idea of capitalizing on the
Prospect
slope of the land with prospect being the high point as a way to
SP, ALL -When you plan new development make sure the
further develop it as a center point (and land mark creation)
community knows about it to prevent a buildup of distrust.
BRUSH -Would like to see more outdoor spots/green space
Engage and include so they can be proud of the work.
BRUSH -Would like to see places to go within walking distance of
SP, ALL -In order to get better feedback from the community on
the child development center for staff
your project, meet them in their comfort zone. NOT the police
________________________________Tri-Blenheim Community Meeting
station.
PS – like the idea of expanding on the Giving Groves ideas to
NP, ALL -How much rent or tax will rise?
increase access and affordability to fresh fruit
________________________________Tri-Blenheim Community Meeting PS – persistent problem with parking at vacant properties and
History and Information (6)
abandoned cars at dead-end streets
NP -CVS was the first “urban” CVS in the country – it’s good but it
ALL – parking lots are the areas must susceptible to crime
could be better – its walkable but could be better
___________________________________________________Hospital Meeting
NP, ALL – the previous site for St. Joseph Medical Center cannot
PS – Research Medical Center (RMC) seeks to use existing
be built on
infrastructure and renovate instead of expand, besides an office
BRUSH -It hasn’t flooded drastically in the area for the past 30
building
years although there is foundation damage to the homes. SP -Orchards are growing in popularity. SP -We are looking at West Side Housing project as a precedent in Kansas City 121
PROJECT CONCEPT The conceptual proposal the studio created addresses issues of an undefined, disconnected, and undeveloped Prospect Avenue. The concept proposes mixed-use nodal and infill development at different scales, densities, and utilizes different corridor contexts. The studio also established design standards, such as programming and streetscape, that apply to the entirety of the Corridor, with contextual input. For the project concepts to be implemented in a cohesive manner throughout the Prospect Corridor, design and programming standards are necessary. These standards provide consistency within the different nodes - and avoid the issue of reinventing the wheel for each group - while tying together the concept for the Corridor. These standards are streetscape design and land programming, each of which take in the existing context and the proposed concept.
123
Independence Ave.
Truman Rd.
Re-Centering Prospect
31st St.
39th St.
Brush Creek
Re-Linking Prospect 63rd St.
75th St. Urban Ex-Urban Suburban
Overall Concept 124
Re-Connecting Prospect
Prospect Corridor Concept The site analysis made clear that Prospect is segmented into three parts: urban, ex-urban, and sub-urban, from north to south. These parts are separated by infrastructural barriers and defined by the urban form. To establish a comprehensive urban concept for the Prospect Corridor, the studio established three key goals from the site analysis: 1. Re-Centering Prospect - propose development on Prospect to emphasize the street as the core of the corridor. It is not clear that Prospect is the primary artery. 2. Re-Linking Prospect - propose development that joins Prospect across large infrastructural barriers. The breaks on the street, as well as the different characteristics around the divisions, is a prominent visual characteristic. 3. Re-Connecting Prospect - propose development that is to scale of the intersections on Prospect. The cross-connections have initiated nodes that should be expanded with the context.
Urban Condition
Ex-Urban Condition
Sub-Urban Condition 125
Development Concepts To accomplish the components of the concept, the studio classified and identified where and how development should be implemented based on the three found conditions of Prospect: Urban, Inter-Urban, and Suburban. After classification of these zones, the development strategies were established:
126
--
Development Strategy - from the three urban conditions there are three development strategies: repurpose old buildings into new uses, reinforce the existing character with parcel infill, and remediate suburban condition with lot densification.
--
Development Density - in alignment with the development strategy, the density is higher at the major street intersections and lower further away.
--
Green Infrastructure - different methods to address infrastructure needs in a sustainable and environmentally-conscious way based on watersheds, topography, and development
Zero Waste Stormwater
Development Strategy
Repurpose
High
Green Living
Reinforce
Medium
Green Dev.
Remediate
Low
Public Green
Development Density
Green Infrastructure 127
RECREATION
Recreational services are B-level services, and are vital for healthy and happy residents to thrive. Parks that are adequately programmed and maintained and private fitness centers are lacking within walking distance from Prospect Avenue, however community centers likely fill a majority of the service gaps. The primary segment where recreation is lacking is South Prospect around Research Medical Center, likely due to the vast amounts of vacancy surrounded by residential neighborhoods. However, the existing parks are generally seen as unsafe and people rarely occupy them.
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Parks
Fitness
Community Centers
Existing Recreation
Proposed Recreation
Transit-Oriented Service Distribution Creating standardized land programming helps establish the basic resources that should be within a community. A healthy community has residents who have access to services they need to live decent lives. There are generally three types of services: –– A-level - communal infrastructure, such as police departments, schools, government services, and other public works –– B-level - quality of life services, including health, housing, and water access –– C-level - based around short-term solutions, such as homeless shelters or soup kitchens The Prospect Corridor needs to address the lack of B- and C-level services. There are also other types of programming that enhance the quality of life by forming communities where people can healthily live, work, and play. The service gaps indicated in the site analysis portion indicate where potential development should happen, coinciding with the proposed Prospect MAX bus stops and proposed development. Most people will not walk more than 5 minutes (~0.25mi) before they decide to take their car instead, and almost nobody chooses to walk more than 10 minutes (~0.5mi) to a destination over driving. Therefore, service accessibility per 0.25mi and 0.5mi walk radius creates ideal walkable neighborhoods.
Selected text adapted from a report by Rachel Rankin & Lauren Silvers 129
EDUCATION
Schools are categorized as an A-level service, although there are many other educational resources that exist and are assets to the community. Besides schools for younger people and children, there is a lack of educational services on the Prospect Corridor. Libraries and adult education programs have a positive impact, and community centers - again - likely TRANSIT-ORIENTED SERVICE fill in a majority of the gaps in theseDISTRIBUTION types of services. There is still room Service accessibility per 0.25mi and 0.5mi walk radius for ideal walkable neighborhoods for improvement for the walkability of educational resources. There are key services that are lacking in the prospect corridor
130
Libraries
Schools
Community Centers
Existing Education
Service Demarcation Existing Service Proposed Service
Proposed Education
HEALTH
Health is a category that is comprised of A, B, and C-level services on the Prospect Corridor. Almost everything contributes to an individualâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s health, which is why design can have potentially huge impact. Although there is a large hospital on the Corridor which supports the community, it is still a regional service that has some distance from the neighborhoods. There is a severe lack of fresh food locations and other types of local medical services.
Healthy Food
Pharmacy
Medical
Existing Health
Proposed Health
131
Prospect Corridor Streetscape Sections 1 URBAN Control
Streetscape The streetscape aligns the concept by addressing the three urban conditions: urban, inter-urban, and ex-urban with the following strategies: –– Control - reduce traffic speed by maximizing public space and green infrastructure
Prospect Corridor Streetscape Sections 1 URBAN Control –– Compress - Shrink right-of-way and increase vegetation buffer between street and public or private space
10’
4’6”
10’
8’
8’
10’
4’ 6”
10’
Sidewalk
Storm water Infrastructure/ Bus Stop
Sharrow
Drive
Drive
Sharrow
Storm water Infrastructure/ Bus Stop
Sidewalk
2 INTER URBAN MIXED USE Compress
–– Integrate - Large right-of-way for multi-modal transit and improved public space
Prospect1Corridor UrbanStreetscape Sections
2 Inter-Urban Mixed-Use
1 URBAN Control
4’6”
10’
8’
8’
10’
4’ 6”
10’
Storm water Infrastructure/ Bus Stop
Sharrow
Drive
Drive
Sharrow
Storm water Infrastructure/ Bus Stop
Sidewalk
2 INTER URBAN MIXED USE Compress
Control
3 Inter-Urban Transit
10’ Sidewalk
Compress
10’
6’
9’
10’
10’
10’
6’
8’
Sidewalk
Storm water Infrastructure/ Bus Stop
Parking
Sharrow
Turn Lane
Sharrow
Storm water Infrastructure/ Bus Stop
Sidewalk
3 INTER URBAN TRANSIT Integrate
Integrate
10’
4’6”
10’
8’
8’
10’
4’ 6”
10’
10’
6’
9’
10’
10’
10’
6’
8’
6’
6’
4’
10’
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9’
8’
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6’
6’
Sidewalk
Storm water Infrastructure/ Bus Stop
Sharrow
Drive
Drive
Sharrow
Storm water Infrastructure/ Bus Stop
Sidewalk
Sidewalk
Storm water Infrastructure/ Bus Stop
Parking
Sharrow
Turn Lane
Sharrow
Storm water Infrastructure/ Bus Stop
Sidewalk
Sidewalk
Storm water Infrastructure/ Bus Stop
Bike
Drive
Drive
Turn Lane
Drive
Drive
Bike Lane
Storm water Infrastructure/ Bus Stop
Sidewalk
Independence Ave.
2 INTER URBAN MIXED USE Compress
1
3 INTER URBAN TRANSIT Integrate
ROW: 55’ BOC: 36’
10’
6’
9’
10’
10’
10’
6’
8’
Storm water Infrastructure/ Bus Stop
Parking
Sharrow
Turn Lane
Sharrow
Storm water Infrastructure/ Bus Stop
Sidewalk
BOC: 40’ 132
6’
6’
4’
10’
8’
9’
8’
10’
4’
6’
6’
Sidewalk
Storm water Infrastructure/ Bus Stop
Bike
Drive
Drive
Turn Lane
Drive
Drive
Bike Lane
Storm water Infrastructure/ Bus Stop
Sidewalk
4 EXURBAN Compress
BOC: 55’
3
2
ROW: 80’ BOC: 50’
ROW: 70’ BOC: 40’
4 EXURBAN Compress
ROW: 70’ BOC: 40’
Sidewalk
3 INTER URBAN TRANSIT Integrate ROW: 55’ - 65’
2
6’
4’
4’
8’
10’
9’
10’
8’
4’
4’
6’
Sidewalk
Bike
Storm water Infrastructure/ Bus Stop
Parking
Drive
Turn
Drive
Parking
Storm water Infrastructure/ Bus Stop
Bike
Sidewalk
BOC:Integrate 5 EXURBAN BOC: 50’
70’
ROW: 75’-80’ BOC: 50’
10’
4’6”
10’
8’
8’
10’
4’ 6”
10’
Sidewalk
Storm water Infrastructure/ Bus Stop
Sharrow
Drive
Drive
Sharrow
Storm water Infrastructure/ Bus Stop
Sidewalk
10’
6’
9’
10’
10’
10’
6’
8’
Sidewalk
Storm water Infrastructure/ Bus Stop
Parking
Sharrow
Turn Lane
Sharrow
Storm water Infrastructure/ Bus Stop
Sidewalk
3 INTER URBAN TRANSIT Integrate
2 INTER URBAN MIXED USE Compress
10’
6’
9’
10’
10’
10’
6’
8’
Sidewalk
Storm water Infrastructure/ Bus Stop
Parking
Sharrow
Turn Lane
Sharrow
Storm water Infrastructure/ Bus Stop
Sidewalk
6’
6’
4’
10’
8’
9’
8’
10’
4’
6’
6’
Sidewalk
Storm water Infrastructure/ Bus Stop
Bike
Drive
Drive
Turn Lane
Drive
Drive
Bike Lane
Storm water Infrastructure/ Bus Stop
Sidewalk
4 EXURBAN Compress 3 INTER URBAN TRANSIT Integrate
6’
4 Ex-Urban
4’
6’
4’
10’
8’
9’
8’
10’
4’
6’
6’
Storm water Infrastructure/ Bus Stop
Bike
Drive
Drive
Turn Lane
Drive
Drive
Bike Lane
Storm water Infrastructure/ Bus Stop
Sidewalk
Bike
Storm water Infrastructure/ Bus Stop
Center Turn Lane
Bike Lane
On-Street Parking
Stormwater/Bus
Drive Lane
8’
10’
9’
10’
8’
4’
4’
6’
Parking
Drive
Turn
Drive
Parking
Storm water Infrastructure/ Bus Stop
Bike
Sidewalk
4’
5 Ex-Urban Sidewalk
6’
Sidewalk
Sidewalk
5 EXURBAN Integrate
Compress
4 EXURBAN Compress
Integrate
6’
4’
4’
8’
10’
9’
10’
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Sidewalk
Bike
Storm water Infrastructure/ Bus Stop
Parking
Drive
Turn
Drive
Parking
Storm water Infrastructure/ Bus Stop
Bike
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Sidewalk
Storm water Infrastructure/ Bus Stop
Bike
Drive
Drive
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Drive
Drive
Bike
Storm water Infrastructure/ Bus Stop
Sidewalk
2
4
5
4
ROW: 70’ BOC: 40’
ROW: 75’ BOC: 45’
ROW: 80’ BOC: 50’
ROW: 75’ BOC: 45’
6’
6’
4’
10’
8’
9’
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Storm water Infrastructure/ Bus Stop
Bike
Drive
Drive
Turn Lane
Drive
Drive
Bike
Storm water Infrastructure/ Bus Stop
Sidewalk
ROW: 75’-80’ BOC: 50’
BOC: 60’
75th St.
5 EXURBAN Integrate
BOC: 50’ 133
1
DESIGN PROPOSALS Each nodal group utilized a similar design process that analyzed the unique conditions of the individual sites, created group-specific concepts, and developed overall strategies. These key steps of concept and strategy led to site-specific and detailed design proposals within each nodal group.
Prospect Corridor Nodes The Prospect Avenue Nodal Design Study was divided into four main study areas based on the first semester analysis of the Prospect Corridor. The nodes divide the street into distinct areas with unique character and conditions, and the design development references the concept to create spaces based on unifying elements. Design development was focused on advancing these areas while creating a methodology that could be applied to the entirety of the Prospect Corridor. Principles of identity, urban infill, and transit-oriented development were key to both specific areas and holistic urban design. Prospect North (~Independence Ave - 18th St.) - Elana Carter, Stasha Thomas, Regan Tokos, Charlie Vue Infill (~30th St. - 43rd St.) - George Aguilar, Basil Freeman, Caitlin Seal, Dennis Tong, Michael West Brush Creek (~45th St. - 49th St.) - Sam Green, Jason Ingram, Jadenn Kelley, Lauren Silvers, Chelsey Thibido Prospect South (~50th St. - 75th St.) - Spencer Andresen, Ashton McWhorter, Tayvia Navy, Alex Overbay, Jaye Peters, Rachel Rankin, Caleb Wagner
1. PROSPECT NORTH
136
2. INFILL
1. Prospect North
Independence Ave. Truman Rd.
31st St.
2. Infill 39th St.
3. Brush Creek
4. Prospect South
Swope Pkwy.
63rd St.
75th St.
Project Concept
3. BRUSH CREEK
4. PROSPECT SOUTH
137
138 25th St.
22nd St.
Rail Line
18th St.
Truman Rd.
I-70
12th St.
9th St.
Independence Ave.
1. PROSPECT NORTH
39th St.
35th St.
Linwood Blvd.
27th St.
2. INFILL
139
140 59th St.
55th St.
51st St.
Swope Pkwy.
HWY-71 crossing
Cleaver II Blvd.
43rd St.
3. BRUSH CREEK
75th St.
Gregory Blvd.
Meyer Blvd.
63rd St.
4. PROSPECT SOUTH
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142
Prospect North The design phase of Prospect Northâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s development focuses on creating a cohesive urban space oriented to Prospect Avenue that reconnects three distinct pieces of urban space into a corridor that is united through concept, program, and design. The goal of the design and programming is to reconnect the corridor spatially while making places for everyone. The designed spaces allow for community gathering and provide spaces that encourage activity and engagement. The overall urban concept aims to bring the corridor back to what it was historically, a center for culture, art, and urban life, through a reconnected urban fabric. Elana Carter, Stasha Thomas, Regan Tokos, Charlie Vue
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12th Street South Cross-Section
Truman North Cross-Section
Prospect Section 144
Prospect North Development As the project on the Prospect Avenue Corridor continued to shape, Prospect North took a new approach to design development that focused on developing space that encouraged identity and community development. Prospect North has the most cultural history of any of the areas on Prospect Avenue. It is adjacent to both 12th Street and Vine and the historic 18th and Vine District. The corridor was developed with art, identity, history, and culture in mind as some of the greatest strengths in providing the community a design that will help to combat the sense of displacement that comes to accompany neighborhood change. The following assessment of place attachment, social capital, and community and identity outlines some of the big ideas that framed the design development in Prospect North.
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Identity Development on Prospect Place attachment contributes a great deal to developing social capital, increasing cultural capital, and increasing citizen participation. People are more likely to engage with their community and work to make it better thought their networks if they have an attachment to place. Local attachment is important to people as they understand their belonging to place at different levels (Tomaney 2015). The idea of place attachment can be used to address community planning and social progress. The more relationships people have in their community, the more likely they are to spend time and money making it better (Manzo, Perkins 2006). Creating place attachment is key to increasing social capital and inspiring citizen participation. Social capital can be pivotal in maintaining attachment to place. In areas of high turnover, policies to sustain social networks and encourage community development can help generate place attachment and inevitably create better places (Livingston 2008). This social aspect of place is vital to keeping people in an area, whether it is declining currently or has the potential to decline in the future. Place attachment can also foster feelings of safety and encourage the development of social capital (Manzo, DeVine-Wright 2014). Citizen lead community participation, mobilization, and collective action is more prominent in communities with strong social capital. The key to using place attachment for revitalization is transforming it into social capital and then action at the community level (Manzo, DeVine-Wright 2014). This use of social capital is vital to community revitalization. Urban heritage combines the historic attributes of the built fabric and the life of contemporary residents. Intangible cultural heritage links current inhabitants to past, present, and future generations and contains the spread of community values. Cultural capital exists both tangibly through buildings, sites and artwork, and then intangibly through ideas, practices, beliefs, and values. In order to avoid gentrification, tapping into the history of the Prospect Corridor provides an outlet that relies on the current residents to provide a sense of place based on their own lives and
146
history. “Placemaking revitalizes the community, increases social capital and networks, and promotes well-being” (Hassen & Kaufman, 2016). One aspect of cultural development involves “the conscious and deliberate reconstruction and representation of Black history,” which uses place-based marketing to establish the black community as essential to the neighborhood’s past and future development (Moore, 2005). A 2010 study presented evidence that areas with more cultural assets were four times more likely to see population increase and poverty rates decrease than areas with fewer assets (Seigert & Stern, 2010). The public sector can provide the foundation for cultural clusters simply by providing security, clean and safe streets, usable public spaces, and convenient transit. Cities should provide areas with distinctive streetscapes, lighting, and park facilities for greater returns. The key successes of the strategy of cultural clusters is the potential they have for generating social benefits beyond purely commercial success and their strategic importance to the health of a city’s creative economy (Seigert & Stern, 2010). Zukin presents a new idea of what gentrification means for an area by stating that “in this new perspective [a gentrified area] is not so much a literal place as a cultural oscillation between the prosaic reality of the contemporary inner city and an imaginative reconstruction of the area’s past” (Zukin, 1987). Ideal solutions to the negative effects of revitalization, including gentrification, include guidelines from cities that require a percentage of affordable housing implemented in new developments, funding for rehabilitation of existing buildings in low-income areas, and neighborhood standards that encourage inclusive design, community spaces, and density. The design of Prospect North creates a plan for developing landmarks that create a sense of identity and inclusivity along Prospect Avenue. The goal of this design is to create a sense of community space in an area with few buildings available for redevelopment and a need for community oriented amenities and identity development.
Selected text adapted from a report by Regan Tokos 147
Independence Avenue
Independence Avenue
12th Street
12th Street
Truman Road
Truman Road
18th Street
18th Street
Infrastructural Barriers Independence Avenue
Independence Avenue
12th Street
12th Street
Truman Road
Truman Road
18th Street
18th Street
Lack of Continuity 148
Inconsistent Street Edge
Lack of Functional Greenspace
Key Issues There are four key physical issues create a disconnected character that leaves the area lacking a clear urban form, hierarchy, and structure. Infrastructural Barriers: The north section of Prospect Avenue is intersected by two large infrastructural barriers: Interstate 70 and the railroad. Both go under Prospect Avenue and interrupt the street edge to further disconnect The Corridor. Lack of Continuity and Identity: Prospect Avenue is characterized by variety. The building uses vary greatly throughout the northern section of The Corridor with retail and residential properties as well as industrial complexes all in the same area. The character of the buildings is sporadic and inconsistent. Inconsistent Street Edge, Streetscape, and Character: The buildings approaching prospect are inconsistent. Setbacks change from lot to lot, building types change, and vacancy is a regular condition disrupting the urban form. Lack of Functional Greenspace: The parks along Prospect Avenue are disconnected from the street and lack defining elements to bring them to life.
Key Issues Axon 149
Reconnecting Prospect Avenue Urban hierarchy provides a sense of comfort and familiarity to urban spaces. One of the most essential goals of Prospect North is reestablishing this hierarchy. When the combined Sanborn Map from the 40s and 50s is overlain on the current figure ground, clear similarities and differences begin to appear. Sections on and just to the south of Independence Avenue still have a similar node to neighborhood character that they had in the past, but to the south the character starts to change. The highway was and remains a major disruption to the consistent urban form. There is also an industrial area at the southern end of the study area which changes the hierarchy of building footprints drastically. Rather than maintaining a hierarchy in urban form, the grid of the street and the pattern of buildings is disrupted in todayâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s figure ground. It is unclear how the pieces fit together in todayâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s urban system as the hierarchy of building size and orientation no-longer expresses the underlying urban system of the past. Node
Neighborhood
Node
Current Figure Ground 150
Sanborn Figure Ground
Sanborn, Current Overlay
Full Urban Concept
al
nti
de esi
R
on
cti
ne
n Co
se
-U
xed Mi
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t
ee
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n ma
ad
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t
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Urban Concept The Urban Concept for Prospect North is founded on a rich history and culture and an urban form that was clear and connected. The goal of Prospect North is to create an urban space that feels like a neighborhood, a community, and a cohesive urban environment. Three distinct areas of focus have been identified. In the north there is a neighborhood condition where spaces developed moving forward should have a clear community focus. In the middle is a connector piece that has a clear relationship to the highway and the rest of Kansas City as both a regional transportation connection and a transitional area to the north and south section of North Prospect. The southern section is to transform into a mixed-use district and has the potential to connect to the historic 18th and Vine District to the west of the study boundary. The building stock in this area has potential to be repurposed from an industrial district into more community friendly spaces. As a whole concept, the focus is on re-centering around Prospect Avenue through three distinct urban strategies that re-connect this part of The Prospect Corridor and create a complete urban identity.
2th
t
ee
Str
1
n ma
ad
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1
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t
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Str
Revitalize & Densify Fill Vacant Lots
Implement Streetscape
Revitalize Park Landmark Building Creation
Bridge Connection
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Independence Avenue
Prospect Avenue
Independence Landmark
12th Street
12th Street Landmark
Billboard Landmark
Truman Road
18th Street
Library
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Residential
Commercial
Community Space
Artist Residence
Tech Incubation
Public Space
Boutique Theater
Parking
Landmark Buildings
Landmark Infill Concept The concept of landmark buildings provides a new organization and urban hierarchy to the Prospect Corridor. Three key areas were called out for their relevance along the corridor. The landmark buildings on the intersection of Independence and Prospect provide a strong entry into the corridor from the north. These buildings show the character of the corridor and mark the clear visual and spatial endpoint at Independence Avenue. The buildings mirror one another and attempt to make an endpoint and an entry for the corridor. The 12th street landmarks include the redesign of Prospect Plaza Park and the building on the south east corner of 12th Street and Prospect. This corner celebrates the history of 12th street, provides community space, and creates a strong entry point into the corridor from downtown Kansas City. This landmark responds to the soon to be implemented Prospect MAX line. The third set of landmark buildings focus on reconnecting the urban fabric. Interstate 70 cuts through Prospect Avenue, disrupting the urban form. By creating a set of landmark buildings on the northern and southern edge of the highway along Prospect Avenue, a new connection is formed. The buildings have a clear relationship to each other in both programming and design. The landmark buildings also reclaim the bridge space. Through programming, redesign, and expanding the pedestrian realm, the bridge becomes multimodal, rather than vehicle oriented.
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Billboard Concept One of the most pressing issues of Prospect North was addressing the disconnection of the street edge created by Highway-70. In an attempt to restore the urban space and provide an identity to the passage under the Prospect Avenue bridge, the billboard concept was developed. By understanding typical highway visuals, specifically billboards, a reclaimed idea of highway typology and space was developed. The study of that concept is provided here.
View from Highway-70 Looking East
View shed from Highway-70 Looking East
Viewshed from Highway-70 Looking West 156
View from Highway-70 Looking West
Billboard Concept Diagram
Billboard Concept
East-West Highway Section 157
North I-70 Landmark Building on Prospect and I-70 Looking Northwest
North-South Diagonal Section through Highway-70 158
Billboard Landmarks
North Landmark on Prospect and I-70 Looking Northwest
Two landmark buildings have been developed near I-70 with a clear relationship to each other and their surroundings, including the highway that once divided them. The goal of the landmark buildings and the redesign of the I-70 bridge is to create a clear visual connection to those passing by Prospect Avenue. The updated bridge includes art that creates a clear identity and sense of place when passing through the area. From the perspective of a pedestrian, the view to downtown and an art connection is celebrated. From the vantage point of someone in a vehicle the image of buildings and art provides an experience and understanding of the place one is driving past. The buildings create a clear icon for the corridor through their billboard-like design. The design of the buildings allows for those passing by a glimpse into The Corridor. The billboard buildings provide an indication of the culture, art, and activity that is being developed. The top parts of the buildings are oriented towards the highway with glass that allows those passing by to catch a glimpse or two inside the building. It takes the concept of the billboard to a more conceptual level â&#x20AC;&#x201C; rather than selling a product â&#x20AC;&#x201C; it provides a view and understanding of a place. It tells the story of where you are by allowing you one glimpse into the place.
South Landmark on Prospect and I-70 Looking Southeast
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12th Street Landmark Building
N-S Park Section
E-W Park Section 160
Park Facing Northwest
12th Street Landmark The building on the south east corner of Prospect Avenue and 12th street creates a multifaceted space that is programmed to include a boutique theater on one side and a library that contains community gathering space on the other. This landmark building space will help to both bring Prospect Avenue back to its roots as a gathering place for arts and culture, and provide a much needed space for community members to gather and organize. This space will provide a cultural and community resource that anchors the beginning of the Prospect corridor to the past while also pushing it into the future. It will connect to Prospect Plaza Park locally, but it will also become a gateway to the corridor with the first Prospect MAX stop on Prospect Avenue at the12th and Prospect intersection.
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Urban Facade Study on Prospect Prospect - East
Prospect - West
Facades - Urban
Closed Setback Oriented Off Street
Study Results
Urban Infill 162
36%
86% Urban
Redevelop and Densify
Facades - Closed
Facades - Setback
Facades - Orientation
14%
Non-Urban
Closed
64% Other
48% Setback
52% Other
31% 69% Orientation
Other
Infill Strategy
Independence Avenue
9th Street
12th Street
Truman Road
18th Street
There are a variety of vacant lots along Prospect Avenue. The first strategy for nodal development includes infilling at a height that responds to context buildings and then building up higher along Prospect Avenue. This allows buildings to address the street prominently but also keeps new buildings in context with the existing buildings. The idea for infill is to maintain character and form with current building stock by using similar colors and character to what can be found on Prospect Avenue currently. The diagrams on this page break down prototypical development and revitalization strategies.
Prototypical Infill begins with assembling vacant lots, building the massing to context height, creating public space, and then increasing density along Prospect Avenue. This allows for high density development that responds to context and allows for more uses and affordability through density. By responding to context height, the surrounding neighborhood is not confronted with a jarring change in the visual landscape, rather their neighborhoods fit comfortably with the urban nodes created nearby.
Public Corner - 1
Transition Corner - 9
- No relationship between public & private - Unresolved corner conditions - Cluster of vacant parcels
- No relationship between public & private - Unresolved corner conditions - Non-existent street space
Public Mid-Block - 6
Private Corner - 1
- Mid-block vacancy - Cluster of vacant parcels - Non-existent street space
- Broken street fabric - Unresolved corner conditions - Cluster of vacant parcels
Public Single Parcel - 0
Private Mid-Block - 3
- Broken urban teeth - Non-existent street edge - Single parcel vacancy
- Cluster of vacant parcels - Broken urban teeth - Non-existent street edge
Private Single Parcel - 0 - Non-existent street edge - Single parcel vacancy
Infill and Density 163
Phasing Development Buildings are proposed to be developed in three phases in accordance to how this area will most likely develop in the future.
Independence Avenue
The proposed second phase includes densifying, continuing revitalizing, and removing the suburban typology. Several buildings throughout the northern part of the corridor have historic or aesthetic value and should be revitalized through faรงade updates. Other parcels are prime areas for higher density (4-6 story) development that could include either building up current buildings or removing current building stock in favor buildings with higher density that also respond to the street. The second phase will also begin the landmark development.
9th Street
The proposed third phase of development focuses on landmark buildings that redefine the bridge over I-70. This bridge currently creates a barrier between two segments of the corridor. The street edge is not defined and there is not a strong connection between the north and south in program, design, or function. This proposal encourages a re-imagining of this area as a connecting piece rather than a division.
12th Street
The overall goal of this project is to recreate a connection in the urban form that used to exist, as seen in the Sanborn maps previously analyzed. The design of this part of the corridor allows for nodal development and the discovery of a new type of spatial and visual connection in the area.
Prospect Avenue
The first phase focuses on redevelopment and restoration of current building stock. Ideally this development is implemented as protections are put in place for developing more accessible housing.
Truman Road
Streetscape Landmark Building Revitalization Infill Vacant Lots Park Development
18th Street
Replacing the Suburban Typology Building Density
Combined Phasing Map 164
9th Street
9th Street
9th Street
12th Street
12th Street
12th Street
Truman Road
Truman Road
Truman Road
18th Street
18th Street
18th Street
Phase I
Phase II
Prospect Avenue
Independence Avenue
Prospect Avenue
Independence Avenue
Prospect Avenue
Independence Avenue
Phase III 165
Prospect North Overall Plan
Prospect Avenue
9th Street
Independence Avenue 166
Independence Infill Density Before
12th Street Landmark
Independence Corner After
Independence Landmark
Independence Corner Before
Truman Road Infill Density After
18th Street
Billboard Landmark
Truman Road Infill Density Before
Truman Road
12th Street
Independence Infill Density After
167