Reconnecting Penn Valley Park

Penn Valley Park is not achieving its full potential today, but several specific improvements can enhance its use and better connect its neighbors.  The following proposals represent a collaborative effort by designers/Downtown residents Arpit Balhara, Jihee Chung, Alyssa Parsons, and Thomas Morefield. Just a mile from the heart of Kansas City’s central business district, Penn…

Cyclist Perspective on Grand Boulevard Concept

“A Long Road for a Grand Boulevard – Part 2” illustrates how thoughtful design can improve Grand Boulevard for all users. This post highlights a few refinements of this concept from the cyclist perspective. I agree with the overall premise of protected bike lanes and the approach to phasing from paint to full infrastructure.  After all, protected bike lanes…

A Long Road for a Grand Boulevard – Part 2

The first entry on this topic summarizes the design components and challenges for the various concepts being explored for Grand Boulevard. The following concept takes two sample blocks of Grand Boulevard to illustrate how thoughtful design can enhance the street in a way that meets the needs of all users, and also provides a clear…

A Long Road for a Grand Boulevard – Part 1

Grand Boulevard has been getting a lot of attention recently, with a wide assortment of stakeholders recognizing the importance of improving the boulevard. The concepts proposed thus far have created a high expectations but a definite lack of clarity about the most desirable and feasible path forward. A design that integrates the right balance of…