REINTEGRATING: Independence Avenue Urban Vision Study | Part 1

REINTEGRATING

independence avenue urban vision study

Independence Avenue Urban Vision Study kansas city design center urban studio 2012-2013 university of kansas kansas state university

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This studio publication, generated during the 2012-2013 academic year at the Kansas City Design Center (KCDC), was written and designed by Nicholas Fratta with the support of Theron Bronson, Keith Moore Jr, J.J. Nichols, and Tiffany Cartwright in collaboration with Vladimir Krstic, Studio Director and Instructor.

This publication cannot be sold, duplicated, or published electronically or otherwise, without the express written consent of the KCDC. The purpose of this publication is academic in nature and is intended to showcase the research, scholarship, and design work of the students of the KCDC.

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foreword

7

introduction

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independence avenue

41

independence avenue analysis

113

urban vision

137

focus areas

139

west gateway

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commercial corridor

227

productive infill

265

east gateway

309

appendix

Reintegrating

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foreword Independence Avenue Urban Vision Study presented in this publication is the third in a series of large scope urban design explorations undertaken by the KCDC urban design studio. The project was carried out in collaboration with Mid America Regional Council as a part of the HUD grant for sustainable places planning study through which it was in part funded; and the KCMO Planning Department who has provided remaining project funding via KCMO City Manager’s office.

The purpose of the project was to generate an urban vision study for a 4-mile stretch of Independence Avenue in the NE Kansas City including its extended urban context, and by building on the existing planning documents and redevelopment initiatives, render a more tangible design proposition for strategic transformation and urban improvement of the study area. The most challenging question that needed to be come to terms with was the issue of a ‘disjointed city:’ an urban scape made of the patches of imposing historic structures, vacant and disused lots and structures, ad hoc and colloquial street front architecture, the forgotten geography of the city beautiful imprint, and the reverberation of life of many cultures that stake its place in it. It represents the palimpsest of the many city incarnations written one over another in the same place yet not quite overlapping and leaving blank spaces in between marking the vicissitudes of time and economy.

Grasping and analyzing this condition brought about the realization that absent of the demand for highdensity development the state of progressive vacancy, disuse and fragmentation of urban fabric will continue to endure. So rather than ‘dreaming up’ an idealized, stereotypical complete city condition the design focus shifted toward seeking to confront the unyielding reality of the place, to devise strategies to, while not necessarily erasing, convert the inherent problematic conditions into positive and intentional attributes and in that discover new possibilities for urban transformation that is true to its circumstances.

Accordingly all design interventions have been conceived as tactical and catalytic, associated with

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critical locations and intent on reordering, or propelling the reordering of the larger context.

The second important realization in the course of the project was the fact that urban transformation could not be carried solely through architectural means but the tactics for the activation of the vacant and underutilized urban space short of building. This included rethinking the urban space as an infrastructural reserve, a productive agricultural territory and a hybrid of a public domain where utility and communal life cyclically exchange. But beyond rethinking urban design paradigms, it was the conceptualization and eventual design of the processes through which such a change could be implemented that was the biggest challenge and hopefully the illumination of the project. This could not have been conceived and attempted without the participation of the members of the Northeast community whose determination, involvement and the commitment to making a difference in improving their urban environment was a great guiding force. Students and myself remain indebted to them for the inspiration and a great learning opportunity. We hope that our work and this publication that presents it will make their aspirations more tangible and provide a fertile ground for acting and seeing the changes through.

In closing I want to acknowledge an outstanding group of students who have taken the challenge of the project and done a remarkable work investing themselves in the stakeholder community and forging an impressive urban vision of their own making. In doing so they have tested their own limits and advanced their own learning to unsuspected levels and I am thankful to have had a chance to work with them.

This book is solely conceived and produced by the KCDC students. Nick Fratta was the soul and the staying force that made this publication possible and all of us owe him a debt of gratitude. He was greatly helped in this endeavor by his colleagues Thereon Bronson, Keith Moore Jr. and JJ Nichols, and the KCDC Executive Assistant and Intern Tiffany Cartwright. I am very thankful to all of them for their commitment and hard work as well as to a number of their classmates who assisted in proofreading and editing of the final book draft.

Vladimir Krstic

foreword

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introduction Independence Avenue is the arterial core of Northeast Kansas City, which is bounded to the north by East Bottoms, the east by Highway I35, to the south by the Kansas City Terminal Railway, and to the west by Highway 70. The Independence Avenue Urban Vision Study examines Independence Avenue from Columbus Park on the west to Highway 435 on the east, looking north to Kessler Park and south to Truman Road.

The Northeast community is a prominent area of Kansas City; historically as the first suburb and geographically as city boundary. As the first suburb, multimode public transit integrated the Northeast and the rest of Kansas City. Now the Northeast has the capacity and need to again become well-integrated by transit. George Kessler’s city beautiful plan allocated the northern bluff of the Northeast as park space and many of the major roads as boulevards, establishing the Northeast as an artifact of the city’s origins. The fabric of the Northeast is evidence of urban landscape organized around and derived from topography.

Rail infrastructure which appropriates low-lying topography along waterways, and highway infrastructure which creates its own topography shape the Northeast’s built environment. Rail roads and highways surrounding the Northeast sever its neighborhoods from the rest of Kansas City. Industrial landscape expanding from the infrastructure is a now a no-man’s land due to deindustrialization.

Infrastructure in deindustrialized Northeast causes chasms in the city at a municipal scale, fragmentation in fabric at a neighborhood scale, and discontinuity along primary roads at a local scale. Independence Avenue lacks identity and cohesive character due to the inconsistencies in the urban environment.

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The four-mile thoroughfare is oriented east to west and connects residents and commuters from Highway 435 and Interstate 35 into downtown. It is the seam between six primary ethnically and racially diverse neighborhoods: Pendleton Heights, Scarritt, Indian Mound, Independence Plaza, Lykins, and Sheffield. The corridor hosts diverse commercial activity including grocers,

restaurants,

bars,

specialty

stores,

and

family

businesses.

Independence Avenue today finds itself at a pivotal moment for the next chapter of its history. Rediscovered rich housing stock renews value in neighborhoods.

Commercial activity reflecting the diversity of the residents is becoming known throughout the city. A postindustrial landscape of vacant and underutilized parcels offers opportunity for alternative infill strategies. Independence Avenue is the focus of the consideration of streetcar expansion, and the Northeast the focus of commuter rail through the Rock Island corridor. These elements serve as vivid reminders of the area’s past and position Independence Avenue as an area of focus and consideration for urban redevelopment based on its potential, community interest, and planning efforts by the city.

Over the course of the urban vision process, four typological urban contexts are identified: no man’s land carved out by highways and their right-ofways, discontinuous commercial corridor, fragmented residential fabric, and underutilized industrial landscape. Their mutual resolution manipulates four basic dimensions of urban design – connectivity, public space, food access, and water management – to develop a complete avenue of unified identity. Independence Avenue as an urban element is envisioned through four unique urban models relevant to other areas of Kansas City and other deindustrialized cities altogether

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Reintegrating

The project area expands from the Avenue proper to include most of the Northeast: Kessler Park to the north and Truman Road to the south, downtown to the west and 435 to the east.

introduction

The assets of community building in the Northeast must be accounted for before investigating the potential for change and improvement of Independence Avenue. A rich cultural history is embodied disjointedly in the architecture of the Avenue. A diverse population representing nearly 50 countries operates and patronizes equally diverse businesses. Understanding these existing conditions of the Northeast and more are the starting point of analysis of the forces which influence Independence Avenue.

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history of the avenue

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population diversity

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transit ridership

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parks and boulevards

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regional connections

Independence Avenue

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image credit: Missouri Valley Special Collections, Kansas City Public Library, Kansas City, Missouri

history of the avenue By the end of the 19th century Kansas City was on the rise and reaching a period of maturity, having established itself as a primary destination for livestock and shipping trades between coasts. The increase in opportunities drew businessmen and immigrants to the region who chose to settle in the area to the east of the central city. The wealthy, who built homes on streets we recognize today as Paseo, Gladstone and Benton, established elite neighborhoods that “began a mile east of downtown, where Independence Avenue was transformed into a showcase for towered and turreted houses.”1 Implementation of the Kessler Parks and Boulevards Plan transformed the neighborhoods into areas of exquisite beauty.

In 1893 George Kessler planned a system of parks and boulevards that brought new identity to the city’s fabric. Between 1893-1915 Kessler’s original plans were constructed and expanded to include a total of 2,668 acres of parks and 90 miles of boulevards, making the system one of the most prominent City Beautiful projects in America. Local neighborhoods embraced Independence Avenue, the first ever boulevard in Kansas City, in the peak of social prominence. Along with the Avenue, parkland and parkways provided an important asset to the community.

Between 1880 and 1920 the Northeast neighborhood saw an enormous increase in development making it a hub for Kansas City’s newest residents. A mix of architectural styles including Beaux-Arts, Queen Anne, Mission, and Victorian transformed the neighborhood into a bustling residential community for many of Kansas City’s wealthy businessmen. Today this community is recognized as a historic district of Kansas City.

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World War I provided job security to the Northeast community as the area’s industrial developments were highly productive manufacturing war materials.

During this time the wealthy vacated the area as Kansas City expanded south, leaving empty mansions to be demolished or used as multi-family homes. By World War II, the social and economic diversity of residents within the Northeast and businesses along the Avenue had increased dramatically.

By the 1950’s the Northeast settled as a middle-class, blue-collar working community with a wide mix of ethnic backgrounds, religions and races. But by the 1960’s segregation sentiments aided by the increased mobility through expressways and autos, lured the wealthy north across the Missouri River.2 This resulted in increased affordable housing options, which attracted minorities to settle into these vacated areas. As the population shifted, eventually minorities left the Northeast at increased rates. This emptying pattern of the Northeast accelerated a decline of living conditions that occurred over the next few decades.

As more properties became unattended rentals or abandoned entirely, this cast uncertainty over the neighborhood increasing disparity for any possible revival of the neighborhood.

Today Independence Avenue and the adjacent neighborhoods are home to a large immigrant population. The area shows tremendous improvement with its unique business districts and international markets. However this potential has been overshadowed by violent crimes, prostitution and poverty. Residents and business owners are optimistic in bringing promising development back to Independence Avenue and providing a vision for the renewal of the Northeast.

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Independence Avenue

Sectional slices through the city reveal the topographical relationship between Independence Avenue and downtown. The discontinuity of the groove represents the point at which the Avenue is severed from downtown by the highway system.

history of the avenue

population diversity From its earliest beginnings up to the present date, the Northeast region has been in a perpetual influx of non-native peoples and immigrant cultures from across the globe. Originally the community was made up of German and Italian immigrants, wealthy businessmen who provided the community with a rich cultural foundation.

Today many of the original cultural influences on the community’s fabric remain intact however a new wave of cultures and ethnicities comprise a majority of the area’s residents setting a new tone. In large part the community embraces the new transformation of diversity and seeks ways to use this as a tool to help forge a new identity of the community. Of all the various races identified along the corridor the most common include Caucasian African American, Latino, Asian, American Indian, Pacific Islander and a growing presence of African cultures.

Despite the best intentions at embracing racial diversity to begin forming a new era for the community, a majority of the residents here live in poverty and struggle for resources that can assist at providing materials necessary for healthy daily life.

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Independence Avenue

Caucasian

African/African American

Asian

American Indian

Areas of Caucasian concentration are: Downtown, along Gladstone (from the intersection with Independence, all the way north and along the edge of Kessler Park), and around Budd Park.

The data shows the African American population concentrating in the western portion of the Northeast neighborhoods, particularly along Prospect Avenue.

The Hispanic/Latino population is most concentrated in the neighborhoods north of Independence Avenue, in the Scarritt and Indian Mound neighborhoods.

Hispanic/Latino

The significantly smaller Asian population has specific pockets around Northeast High School, between Prospect and Gladstone (north and south of Independence Avenue,) and the Columbus Park area.

The American Indian populations is relatively small, and has no significant pattern of concentration in the Northeast.

The Hawaiian/Pacific Islander populations is also very small, however, it does tend to concentrate in the same blocks in many places around the Northeast.

Hawaiian/Pacific Islander

population diversity

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Mapping the languages throughout the Northeast provides a new perspective of the diverse ethnic and cultural population that the area embodies. The predominant languages are English and Spanish, with Chinese, Vietnamese, and Arabic present along Independence Avenue much less frequently.

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transit ridership The parks and boulevards system that was established at the end of the 19th century formalized Independence Avenue as a crucial roadway for transportation throughout the Northeast corridor. An extensive network of trolley streetcars existed at the height of the corridor’s activity, allowing area residents to commute to downtown. Over time however, automobiles became the dominant mode of transportation and streetcar tracks were replaced with paved motorways.

Today, public transportation in Kansas City is provided through a network of express bus and bus rapid transit (BRT) lines that operate in seven rapid transit corridors across the downtown and metro areas. Independence Avenue is currently one of Kansas City’s most active corridors in terms of bus ridership. The transit lines operate between downtown and east to Independence, MO. Higher levels of bus ridership coexist with lower rates of vehicle ownership and income, making the corridor service a necessity for a majority of commuter residents.

Incorporating new modes of public transportation would serve as a catalyst, bringing renewal to the Northeast and improving mobility for many residents who lack access to automobiles. Consequently, any consideration of urban redevelopment of the Independence Avenue area must be based on the transit oriented development (TOD) objectives as well as be aligned with the ongoing city planning objective to enhance and grow public transportation system through new street car lines and potential commuter rail.

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West Bound Ridership

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Focus Areas

East Bound Ridership When isolating the Independence Avenue bus route, it was pertinent to map what stops on the Avenue are most populated. The East and West bound routes were mapped as well as the daily average of people on and off at these particular stops. A graphic representation of this data reveals strong visual patterns. Notably where the highest concentration of riders are located. This data was further synthesized and analyzed throughout the design process. It was important to superimpose the East and West routes with the average on and off data to see reoccurring popular stops. These stops include: Virginia, Prospect, Benton, Hardesty, Wilson, and Winner Rd.

transit ridership

LIGHTING. SEATING. LARGE SIGNAGE. COVERED.

LIGHTING. ADEQUATE SIDEWALK. GREEN

26 SEATING. LARGE SIGNAGE. COVERED. ADEQUATE

SIDEWALK. GREEN SPACE. DAY AND NIGHT

SEATING. LARGE SIGNAGE. COVERED. ADEQUATE SIDEWALK. DAY AND NIGHT SAFE. AMENITIES AND NIGHT SAFE. AMENITIES

LIGHTING. SEATING. COVERED. ADEQUATE

ADEQUATE SIDEWALK. GREEN SPACE. DAY

LIGHTING. SEATING. COVERED. ADEQUATE

SPACE. DAY AND NIGHT SAFE

ADEQUATE SIDEWALK. GREEN SPACE. DAY

SPACE. DAY AND NIGHT SAFE

LIGHTING. SEATING. COVERED. ADEQUATE

LIGHTING. ADEQUATE SIDEWALK. GREEN

LIGHTING. SEATING. LARGE SIGNAGE. COVERED. AND NIGHT SAFE. AMENITIES SIDEWALK. AMENITIES

SIDEWALK. DAY AND NIGHT SAFE. AMENITIES

SIDEWALK. DAY AND NIGHT SAFE. AMENITIES

SAFE. AMENITIES

Site conditions were observed for each of the bus stops on Independence Avenue. An evaluation of specific amenities aided in the analysis of bus ridership. Site condition amenities such as covering, seating, lighting, green space, amenities (trash can, news paper stand, etc.) were documented. Further, perceived safety also revealed a direct correlation to ridership levels. Maintaining quality transit stops to encourage ridership developed as a fundamental principle from the evaluation of the bus system along the Avenue.

Independence Avenue LIGHTING

NIGHT SAFE.

SPACE

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SEATIN.G. COVERED. ADEQUATE SIDEWALK.

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AND NIGHT SAFE. AMENITIES

AND NIGHT SAFE. AMENITIES

AND NIGHT SAFE. AMENITIES

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GREEN SPACE. AMENITIES.

LIGHTING. SEATING. LARGE SIGNAGE. COVERED.

SEATING. LARGE SIGNAGE. COVERED. ADEQUATE

LIGHTING. ADEQUATE SIDEWALK. AMENITIES LIGHTING. SEATING. ADEQUATE SIDEWALK. GREEN SPACE. DAY AND NIGHT SAFE. AMENITIES

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LIGHTING. ADEQUATE SIDEWALK. GREEN

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ADEQUATE SIDEWALK. AMENITIES.

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EN SPACE. AMENITIES

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EN SPACE. DAY AND NIGHT SAFE. AME

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EN SPACE. DAY AND NIGHT SAFE. AME

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EN SPACE. DAY AND NIGHT SAFE.

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EN SPACE. DAY AND NIGHT SAFE. AME

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EN SPACE

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Eastbound

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Independence Avenue

westbound

Eastbound

westbound

When mapping time frequencies during the day, understanding where and when people were traveling allowed a pattern of “to and from work� to form. High peaks formed in the early mornings (between 8 and 9 a.m.), again at midday and lastly in the evenings (between 5:30 and 6:00 p.m.). The directions of both the East and West lines concluded that people were traveling from the East into work and then returning on the West line back to their homes.

transit ridership

Bus transit is a crucial tool when analyzing an urban environment.

Examining bus lines in the Northeast area deciphered how human influx and outflux via public transit relates to Independence Avenue.

Representing route ridership frequency in thickness of the path creates a web of intensity that indicates the routes of high ridership and their relatinoship to one another. The Avenue runs East and West and directly connects with downtown on Grand Street. There are only two lines that cross Independence Avenue running North and South. This lack of North-South connectivity through the Avenue presents an opportunity to look at reconnecting Independence to its own Northeast Community.

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parks and boulevards George Kessler’s grand vision to develop a system of parks and boulevards for Kansas City in 1893 successfully transformed the region, raising the standard for progressive city planning. For the first time, Kansas City adopted a comprehensive plan to establish citywide organization and did so based on the idea that park space would play a central role in developing future areas of the city. This put quality of life at the forefront of civic space, in turn increasing economic vitality and population growth. However, the subsequent transformation of the city has diluted the significance and presence of some of the parks and boulevards in the life and the order of the city

Kessler Park is a major element of the parks and boulevards system and one of the main geographic attributes of the Northeast. Over time the park has become disconnected and no longer anchors the area in its place. Many of the park spaces in the Northeast are notorious for criminal activity and combat serious issues of dumping and pollution. Reimagining Independence Avenue at its fullest potential will require a serious revision of the approach to park spaces, and a significant effort to reunite the parks and boulevards with the positive activity of the Avenue.

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regional connections As one of the guiding principles of the Greater Downtown Area Plan (GDAP), connectivity is a fundamental element in the solution to reorganize the Northeast into an integrated whole. Local and regional connectivity currently exists as a major issue for the area, both as a challenge and an opportunity. The Northeast street grid has enormous potential to increase connectivity between neighborhoods, which is vital in stitching together the urban fabric, while highways which strengthen regional connectivity contribute to further fragmentation of the neighborhoods.

The main connection between Independence Avenue and the rest of the Kansas City region is the highway system - most specifically Highway 71/Interstate 70 and Interstate 435. At the city scale, connectivity between Independence Avenue and surrounding neighborhoods is primarily North and South. These connections include The Paseo, Prospect Boulevard, Chestnut Avenue, Benton Boulevard, Van Brunt Boulevard, and Hardesty Avenue. At the community scale, the major connection system runs East and West, including St. John Avenue, 9th Street, 12th Street, and Truman Road, which act as corridors to the Downtown Loop and the Crossroads District.

To understand the connectivity of the Northeast to the rest of Kansas City is to understand the potential for access to jobs and goods, as well as visiting customers of stores and patrons of restaurants. Major roadways are also cause of disruption in the urban fabric, and present obstacles for connectivity within the Northeast at a pedestrian level. One of the many challenges facing Independence Avenue is regional and local connectivity whose infrastructures conflict.

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Highways of Kansas City connect regionally and disconnect locally.

Neighborhoods are often divided by highways and railways despite a strong local street infrastructure.

The Northeast is severed spatially from downtown by the highway loop, but its major streets form a strong grid that traverse the division, linking the areas locally.

Independence Ave Interstate system Local connection City districts

1. Gladstone 2. North Kansas city 3. East bottoms 4. Downtown loop 5. Crossroads 6. Westport/plaza 7. Brush creek 8. Truman sports complex 9. South Kansas city

regional connections

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Independence Avenue

Though the highways serve to connect the Northeast at a regional scale, a simple figure ground study shows the impact at a local scale. The urban fabric of the area is severely fragmented by infrastructure. Holes of highway and rail right-of-ways and adjacent large-scale industrial buildings best show this influence. This influence of infrastructure is where the analysis of Independence Avenue and the Northeast begins.

regional connections

Rediscovering potential for Independence Avenue and the Northeast requires us to understand the complexity of the fragmentation of the urban fabric. New methods of looking and discovering must aggregate deep knowledge of the place, its origins, needs and opportunities. By the process of research and analysis, opportunities come to light naturally through exploration, grounding work as a response to the neighborhood rather than a singular design philosophy. Understanding Independence Avenue begun with data extraction from existing planning documents, interactions with community members and field study. The data was then analyzed and mapped in order to capture the unique urban attributes and dimensions of its character critical for design considerations. Visual and spatial analyses determine segments of the study area that are distinguishable in character stemming from their history, quality of existing urban form and cultural dynamics.

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transformation

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urban impasse

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implied street space

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street texture

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facade color

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urban noise elements

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visual connectivity

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local runoff

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developing goals

INDEPENDENCE AVENUE ANALYSIS

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transformation In an attempt to understand the origins of urban morphology of the Northeast Community, the transformations in time of Kansas City railroads, streetcar lines, and highways are uncovered in a series of regional figure ground studies. Beginning with the largest scale and most topographically constrained infrastructure – the railroads – the largest region of the figure ground is established.

River Railroad

River Railroad

River Railroad

Railroad Cablelines

Railroad Street Railways

This is a region contained by infrastructure, and topography. Adding the next smaller scale of infrastructure – streetcar lines – the middle range region of the Railroad Cablelines

figure ground is established. These regions are those connected yet divided by Railroad Street Railways

Railroad Street Railways

public transit. By applying the smallest scale infrastructure – roads – the smallest regions of the figure ground study are established.

Street Railways Streets

Cablelines Streets

Street Railways Streets

Cablelines Streets

Street Railways Streets

1894

1887

1887

1894

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1907

1

1914

CABLELINES - 1887

STREET RAILWAYS - 1894

STREET RAILWAYS - 1907

STREETCAR LINES - 1914 WATERWAYS RAILWAYS TRANSPORTATION

44

Independence Avenue Analysis

STREETCAR LINES - 1922

STREETCAR LINES - 1935

STREETCAR LINES - 1940

HIGHWAYS - 1955

transformation

HIGHWAYS - 1965

HIGHWAYS - 1976

HIGHWAYS - 1983

HIGHWAYS - 1995 WATERWAYS RAILWAYS TRANSPORTATION

46

Independence Avenue Analysis

HIGHWAYS - 2002 Together, the multi-scale infrastructural subdivisions present in the Northeast illustrate the expansion and scarification of the railroads, the expansion and disappearance of the streetcar lines, and the interjection of the highway system. It is in these infrastructures that the major challenges are exposed due to adjacent industrial zones. Overcoming this fragmentation would allow neighbohoods to be reconnected locally.

transformation

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grid misalignment The historic transformation study revealed grid misalignment north and south of Independence Avenue. The unique conditions of the Avenue’s intersections make it one of the most prominent elements in the fabric of the Northeast. Extracting and organizing this condition chronologically reveals that the conditions of impasse on the Avenue have defined the quality of its character over time. The tracings produced at the beginning of the historic transformation study are refined and adapted to gray scale. North-south impasse analysis is overlaid on the gray River Railroad

scale tracing. Gray scale tracing removed, impasse conditions come into focus.

2002

This process of adapting the historic tracings and overlaying impasse is repeated for each year of the transformation study. Results are compared side by side to observe the development of the current conditions. Independence Avenue reveals itself to have always been the point of collision for two offset grid layouts.

Highways Streets

2002

2002

49

1887 1887

1894 1894

1907 1907 THROUGH STREETS DISCONNECTED STREETS MISALIGNED STREETS

50

Independence Avenue Analysis

1914 1914

1922 1922

1935 1935

grid misalignment

1940 1940

1955 1955

1965 1965THROUGH STREETS DISCONNECTED STREETS MISALIGNED STREETS

52

Independence Avenue Analysis

1974 1976

1983 1983

1995 1995

grid misalignment

Many of the observations of the historic transformation study are verified in the comparison of impasse over time. Visible again is the impact of railroads isolating the Northeast, the streetcar connecting neighborhoods, and highways disconnecting neighborhoods, establishing the condition existing today. Understanding the physical influence of infrastructure allows for the hypothesis of the social and economic impact on the physical conditions. This also reveals Independence Avenue to be an original situation where the initial order of the grid is interrupted creating different spatial and morphological conditions. In this light, Independence Avenue is transformed into an axis of the convergence of two misaligned morphological orders.

THROUGH STREETS DISCONNECTED STREETS MISALIGNED STREETS

54

Independence Avenue Analysis

2002

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urban impasse Observable along Independence Avenue in the regional figure ground is the conflict of the street grid along the length of the Avenue. Also identifiable by this character are the overall significance of the North-South connections and their discontinuity at Independence Avenue.

Tracing the roads continuous through Independence Avenue in green, the roads jogging at Independence Avenue in blue, and the roads terminating at Independence Avenue in orange, a larger condition of Urban Impasse is revealed.

Urban Impasse is a condition of discontinuity experienced in the grid of a city, a condition of street misalignment which contradicts the overarching order.

Independence offers itself as a major interceptor of North-South traffic, and itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s history of severance due to highway is also further reinforced.

57

Anderson Avenue

Jackson Avenue

Brooklyn Avenue Troost Avenue

St John

Prospect Avenue

Hardesty Avenue

Brooklyn Avenue

Anderson Avenue

Prospect Avenue

Troost Avenue

St John Avenue

Hardesty Avenue

Terminating

Continuous

St John Anderson Avenue

Independence

Jackson Avenue

Independence Avenue

9th Street

12th Street

Independence 9th Street

9th Street 12th Street

12th Street

18th Street

18th Street 18th Street

E 20th Street

Terminating

Offset

Continuous

Blue, green, and orange lines represent interrupted, continuous, and terminating streets, respectively. Each North-South street accumulates an identifying color. The closer to green, the stronger the roadâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s presence as connected. The closer to orange, the stronger their presence as disconnected. In separating the colors, conditions of intensity are revealed.

58

Independence Avenue Analysis

URBAN IMPASSE NORTHEAST COMPOSITE

Offset

60

Independence Avenue Analysis

Continuous

Terminating

Terminating

Continuous

Offset

Railroad Traversing Network

Highway Access Network

Beginning by establishing a study grid â&#x20AC;&#x201C; one of roads connected to the highway, one of roads traversing the railroads, one of commonly identified major use roads â&#x20AC;&#x201C; the Impasse method is applied in two axes. The result is a network of connectivity based on the continuity of roads. One example is the grid connecting to the highway and its respective continuous roads; a network more likely to be trafficked by vehicles and less safe for pedestrians.

By exploding layers from the first pass of the Urban Impasse study, new understanding comes from identifying networks of connectivity, rather than paths alone.

Disconnected path fragments are made particularly apparent.

Other conclusions can be drawn by comparing the grid-based networks. When combining the highway-based impasse network with the major-use impasse network, the resultant network has less vehicle traffic, and is more likely to be pedestrian safe.

Isolated

Major Use Road Network

THROUGH STREETS DISCONNECTED STREETS MISALIGNED STREETS

urban impasse

RAILROAD TRAVERSING NETWORK

62

Independence Avenue Analysis

HIGHWAY ACCESS NETWORK

To understand the relationship of topography and the infrastructure to be examined in the Urban Impasse study, an explosion of layers illustrates the hierarchy of derivation from one scale of infrastructure to the next. Like the transformation study, the largest scale infrastructure is railroads, followed by streetcar lines or highways, and then roads, with the larger pur purpose of showing how the Urban Impasse study assumes different infrastructurally-constrained street grids as the basis of developing different connectivity networks.

Each Exploded Impasse study represents the thought process behind the corresponding Urban Impasse studies.

STREET NETWORK RAILWAYS HIGHWAY SYSTEM

MAJOR USE ROAD NETWORK

urban impasse

implied street space A street is not only defined by its physical constraints, but is additionally comprised of spatial qualities informed through the figure ground. This implied space informs the experience of the Avenue by revealing the actual street spaces, as opposed to the normative idea of the street, which only defines a regulating line. This analysis of Independence Avenue establishes the difference between the idealized street space which always implies a solid and continuous street facade on the both sides, and the actual, experiential, street space created by the omission and the removal of buildings. Studies of the implied street establish and explore the parameters of such space.

65

The construction of an implied space map is simple, yet the results are invaluable in understanding how the street is experienced in the pedestrian realm. This study signifies all void spaces and allows their relation to be studied; revealing the actual street space and its porosity, as no continuous street facades exist to maintain the presumed linearity of the street space. Porosity in the context of the figure ground describes the object relative to void. A porous urban fabric like that of Independence Avenue has more void than object, more empty space than building mass.

In a figure ground alone, the Avenue appears as the series of larger building footprints, indicating primarily the distinction between commercial buildings along the Avenue, and residential north and south. Additionally seen in the figure ground alone, is the problematic porosity of the commercial buildings. To define this porosity further, the space between all confining building edges is outlined.

The outlined space is extracted from the figure ground to examine the rhythm and pattern of the porosity.

66

Independence Avenue Analysis

implied street space

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KCDC 2013

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68

Independence Avenue Analysis

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Grid misalignment at Independence Avenue causes different character of porosity between the north and south street facades. By looking at the implied space of north and south separately and in an overlay composite method, holes in the street wall become more apparent.

implied street space

NORTH FACADES

NORTH FACADES

NORTH FACADES

NORTH SPACE NORTH FACADES NORTH SPACE NORTH FACADES NORTH SPACE

SOUTH FACADES FACADES NORTH NORTH SPACE SOUTH FACADES NORTH SPACE SOUTH FACADES SOUTH SPACE NORTH SPACE SOUTH FACADES SOUTH SPACE SOUTH FACADES SOUTH SPACE NORTH SOUTH FACADE OVERLAY SOUTH FACADES SOUTH SPACE NORTH SOUTH FACADE OVERLAY

SOUTH SOUTH SPACE FACADE OVERLAY NORTH NORTH SOUTH SPACE OVERLAY NORTH SOUTH SOUTH SPACE FACADE OVERLAY

STREET RHYTHM DETAIL COMPILATION

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street texture When examining the diverse region immediately surrounding Independence Avenue, analysis must be taken into greater depth than plan, figure ground, or section. A textural analysis further synthesized the information gathered from the project site, establishing the inconsistency of the street space enclosure. It was recorded as texture made of time and matter through video recording. This video was captured along the entirety of the Avenue by car. Still frames from the video were established at set distances, and then mapped on a figure ground to demonstrate where each frame was taken.

The gathered images were then transferred into black and white in an effort to analyze the textural street condition. These black and white frames were reduced in opacity. From here, a sequence of overlaying the frames began.

73

The third black and white iteration completed in the textural scan occurred from examining the properties of the photos themselves. When comparing the north and south series of images, differing conditions of street composition occur. Portions of the Avenue were determined according to architectural typology.

Just as with the previous iterations, the frames within each section of the street were then overlaid to create one composition for each condition. The results are most easily articulated through imagery in relation to the corresponding maps. It is observed that the Eastern edge conditions yield the most interesting and identifiable condition within the street. Unlike any other portion, the surrounding area within these images contains an intensive industrial node.

74

Independence Avenue Analysis

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Independence Avenue Analysis

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It is observed that the Eastern edge conditions yield the most interesting and identifiable condition within the street. Unlike any other portion, the surrounding area within these images contains an intensive industrial node.

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facade color After the textural street analysis was concluded, color information was added to the scan studies for the next layer of analysis. Color is an important dimension of Independence Avenueâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s character and space. This study exposed how color affects the perception and idea of texture.

SVN South Section 1

The overlaid images were then placed into a color extraction program that identified the most frequently occurring colors within the file.

79

This process was completed for the â&#x20AC;&#x153;nullâ&#x20AC;? iteration, the figure ground porosity iteration, and the architectural typology iteration as identified in the textural street analysis. Many swatches later, the result was three series of overlaid images that contained a large portion of greenery, street, and a muddled composition of the remaining street colors. Though beautiful images, the results neglected to demonstrate the true nature of the street color make up.

80

Independence Avenue Analysis

facade color

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Furthermore, this process was conducted in a very similar manner but utilized a few changes in the layering technique. The process was repeated for all three iterations and color extraction was conducted. The intention of repeating the study with the same process with some simplistic changes was to yield a differing result to the colors extracted. Despite the initial progress that was gleaned from testing this method, the overall result was incredibly similar to that of the first iteration of the color study.

82

Independence Avenue Analysis

FACADE COLOR PHOTO COMPOSITE

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urban noise elements This study was an attempt to record and analyze the non-archictural elements which comprise the street space and texture of Independence Avenue. To understand this phenomenon, objects of â&#x20AC;&#x153;urban noiseâ&#x20AC;? - telephone poles, power lines, signage, fences, and similar necessary but unsightly objects - were traced and overlaid. Nodes and modules derived from the textural studies determined which photo tracings were compiled.

SVN South Section 1

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100

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Independence Avenue Analysis

90

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Independence Avenue, like many other commercial strips is cluttered with a variety of non-building streetscape elements.

Fencing, wires, poles, and signage become omnipresent and often times become more important than the buildings themselves.

Utilizing a series of 100 photographs at set intervals, these streetscape elements are layered and studied. These layers begin to establish the location, density, and typology of such elements, proving their saturation and defining zones where specific typologies appear at higher intensities.

urban noise

A composite of the noise elements reveals the urban condition in a new visual language, one that speaks about the influence of impasse and porousity on experience of space.

90

Independence Avenue Analysis

URBAN NOISE ELEMENT COMPOSITE

visual connectivity The undulating topography of the region creates many interesting vistas on Independence Avenue and throughout the Northeast. Views of downtown disappear and reappear at various instances as one negotiates the Avenue. These views of the skyline not only serve as a reference point to orient oneself in the larger context of the city, but also add to the unique, urban character of the Avenue. The following study looks at many different points on Independence Avenue, showing a progression of views from west to east. Each real world image is then compared with the same view from the 3D digital model to provide further clarity. Moreover, three types of viewshed conditions or zones were identified as a result. Zone one is where clear or open views of the skyline exist. Zone two includes areas where the skyline is somewhat obstructed but still visible. And zone three encompasses areas where the skyline is completely obstructed. Viewsheds toward downtown from zones one and two should be preserved and enhanced during the design process.

93

VIEWSHEDS ON THE AVENUE

1

2

3

4

5

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96

Independence Avenue Analysis

7

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visual connectivity

local runoff As found with visual connectivity, the topogrpahy of Independence Avenue and the Northeast embodies several significant opportunities. Many of these opportunities exist in natural and sustainable water management, particularly when considering the porous fabric of the neighborhoods compared to the topography. Empty lots and vacant parcels have the potential to be converted to natural landscapes, bioswales integrated in street scapes. Kansas City as a whole faces an average of 6.4 billion gallons of overflow due to excess runoff anually,3 which causes flooding of homes, businesses, and roadways. Simple combinations of GIS layers of watershed boundaries, hydrology paths, flow accumulation, vacancy, and impervious surfaces indicate where this embedded opportunity can be activated.

Sustainable water management is a responsibility of all urban planning and design with benefits at a local scale and impacts at a global scale. Finding design methods to integrate water management at all scales in a neighborhood such as the Northeast is finding flexible strategies applicable to other density challenged cities. These localized methods are solutions for a critical global concern.

99

PARCELS WITHOUT STRUCTURES Beginning with a simple examination of vacant parcels, those without structures but not necessarily without impervious surfaces, visibly clarifies the challenges of low density in the Northeast. This is also a clarification of the oppor opportunity for innovative infill strategies, possibly natural overflow management. To investigate the opportunity parcel to parcel, the vacant parcels are compared to minor watershed information to determine what might be possible in that parcel. Parcels along the minor watershed boundaries could best serve to retain and filter runoff. Parcels in basins of minor watersheds could be evaluated for urban agriculture potential. Parcels along flow accumulation paths could be utilized in slowing and filtering runoff.

Parcels Witho

100

Independence Avenue Analysis

PARCELS WITHOUT STRUCTURES

Parcels Without Structures

UNBUILT PARCELS OVERLAPPING WATERSHED BOUNDARIES Unbuilt Parcels Along Watershed Boundaries [Run-Off Source]

UNBUILT PARCELS AT WATERSHED CENTERS Unbuilt Parcels In Watershed Basins [Run-Off Collection]

UNBUILT ACCUMULATION PATHS UnbuiltPARCELS Parcels OVERLAPPING Overlapping FLOW Flow Accumulation Paths local runoff

UNBUILT PARCELS, IMPLIED STREET

Parcels Without Structures, Implied Street

UNBUILT PARCELS OVERLAPPING IMPLIED STREET

Unbuilt Parcels Overlapping Implied Street

IMPLIIED STREET, IMPA IMPL IMPASSEE STUDY

Implied Street, Urban Impass

POTENTIALPotential NETWORK OF PARCEL PARKS Network of Public Green Space Recognizing from the implied street study that many of the parcels along Independence Avenue are without structure, different opportunity emerges here. Along the avenue, the parcels could become pocket parks, or courtyards of buildings set back from the street. With alternative parking and infill strategies, a new idea of an urban corridor emerges, one that accepts its own origins as an autoscape, but also commercially activated.

Looking at the Impasse study as an additional overlay to a watershed analysis, an overlap of the prominent North-South streets reveals an interesting relationship. The overlap of these systems provide the most potential given the spaces have patterns of high traffic. The parcels along these roads should be considered first for water management or urban agriculture development. Together, the parcels along the Avenue and those along primary roads begin to create a network of parcel parks, weaving the low density urban fabric together in an imaginative new way, tying the Northeast back into the larger park system at a pedestrian scale.

102

Independence Avenue Analysis

POTENTIAL NETWORK OF PARCEL PARKS

MASSINGS, WATERSHEDS

WATERSHEDS, UNBUILT PARCELS

MASSINGS, UNBUILT PARCELS

WATERSHEDS, FLOW

104

MASSINGS, ROADS, LOTS Independence Avenue Analysis

PROPOSED NETWORK OF PARCEL PARKS

URBAN IMPASSE, ADJACENT PARCELS

IMPLIED STREET, ADJACENT PARCELS

UNBUILT PARCELS, FLOW

The progression from analysis to initial design concept is clarified in exploded form. This illustrates the origins of the concept - fabric of the neighborhood and change in topography - in three dimensions. local runoff

developing goals In order to structure the conclusions of the analysis and guide design of the Avenue, urban programming strategies attempt to look at pragmatic needs of urban space. The programming strategy begins with a series of preliminary studies conducted along the Avenue. These studies consist of a set of inventory maps and an extensive study of the previous planning documents applicable to the area; such as the Truman Plaza Area Plan, the Independence Avenue Market Study, Feasibility Study, UMKC Plan, and the Community Voices. The cultural, economic, and social patterns of the community are taken into account and a series of readings that define critical urban design strategies and tactics are used to visualize the application of ideas within the urban environment. The programming strategy is not a set of prescriptive moves; rather it is a dynamic model. Its use allows for the creation of a visual composition of maps and diagrams.

The programming model includes strategies that define the critical issues found along Independence Avenue and within the Northeast. These strategies are found to align with discussions with stakeholders and previous studies of the area. Eight main strategies are found to be the critical in the future success of the project.

These strategies include designing for the human scale; providing choices for the user in housing, transportation and commercial uses; implementing mixed-use development; addressing small scale shifts in time; developing a set of nodes within the area; implementing strategies that promote crime prevention through environmental design (C.P.T.E.D.); using strategies to implement life-cycle design; and orienting transit to new development.

107

Code Enforcement Human Scale CPTED Develop Vacant Lot Intensify Uses

Improve Safety

PHYSICAL

Quality and Unique Commercial

Sustainable Design

Density/ Zoning Changes

Transportation Connectivity

Short/ Long Term Solutions

Increase Population

SOCIAL

Neighborhood Character

Celebrate and Retain Diversity

Foster Local Market

Connect to Outside Markets

108

Independence Avenue Analysis

Sustainable Solutions Preserve Identity Small Scale Shifts in Time Effective Parking Strategies Intensify Uses Mixed Use DEV.

Human Scale Mixed Use DEV. Small Scale Shifts in Time Life Cycle Design Complete Street Promote Residential and Transportation Choices Adapt to Business Growth Preserve Identity Development of Nodes Human Scale Complete Street Development of Nodes Multi-modal Transportation Transportation for New DEV. Small Scale Shifts in Time Mixed Use DEV. Transportation to New DEV. Life Cycle Design CPTED Develop Vacant Lot Code Enforcement Adapt to Business Growth

Clarify Codes Interaction/ Privacy, Storefront Aesthetics Reduce Crime Encourage Private Investments, Address Vacancy Workforce DEV., Day and Night Variations, Multi-modal Transportation

Unique and Diverse Experience, Historic Homes Preservation Day to Night Shifts, Seasonal Shifts, Dynamic Experience Address Vacancy Design Flexibility, Recreational Facilities Attract Employees, Diverse Residential Housing Strategies, Encourage Private Investments, Reduce Economic Leakage

Flexible Uses Dynamic Experience Waste Disposal/ Maintenance, Sustainability and Recycling Preserve Structural Investment, Develop Vacant Lot, Increase Walkability

Accomodate Aging Population, Rental Housing Strategies Develop Vacant Lot, Reduce Economic Leakage Identify Areas of Permanence, Building History and Signage Storefront Analysis, Code Enforcement, Interaction/ Privacy

Increase Walkability Effective Parking Strategy Preserve Infrastructural Development Active Day and Night Uses Design Flexibility Sustainable Infrastructure, Preserve Infrastructural DEV. Reduce Crime Effective Parking Strategy, Address Vacancy Clarify Codes Accomodate Aging Population, Investment in Human Capital, Reduce Economic Leakage, Attract Employees, Housing Strategies

Multi-modal Transportation Mixed Use DEV. Human Capital Investment Choices for Housing, Transportation, and Commercial

Develop Multi-modal Transit Flexible Uses, Address Vacany in Residential and Commercial Workforce DEV., Community Support Centers

CPTED Complete Streets Interaction/ Privacy Vacant Lots for ReDEV.

Positive Day/ Night Uses, Reduce Crime Increase Walkability, Consistent Parking Strategy Consistent Storefront Aesthetics Preserve Historic Assets, Identify Areas of Permanence, Promote Private Investment, Reduce Economic Leakage Positive Day/ Night Uses

Code Enforcement Choices for Housing, Transportation, and Commercial

Attract Employers, Strategy for Rental Housing

Strategy for Rental Housing, Recreational Facilities, Reduce Economic Leakage, Accomate Aging Population

Preserve Identity Mixed Use DEV. Complete Streets DEV. of Nodes

Identify Areas of Permanence, Historic Preservation Efficient Design Diverse and Unique Experience, Increase Walkability Recreational Facilities, Community Support Centers

Adapt to Business Growth

Attract Employers, Attract Employees, Reduce Economic Leakage, Workforce Development, Human Capital Investment Encourage Investment from Property Owners

Sustainable Design Transit for New DEV. DEV. of Nodes

Preserve Identity DEV. of Nodes Choices for Housing, Transportation, and Commercial Transit for New DEV. Code Enforcement Attract Visitors CPTED

Quality and Unique Commercial, Positive Day/ Night Uses, Recreational Facilities

Consistent Storefront Aesthetics, Historic Preservation Reduce Economic Leakage, Recreational Facilities Attract Residents, Create Diverse and Unique Experience Code Clarification Reduce Economic Leakage Positive Day/Night Uses, Reduce Crime

Code Enforcement Human Scale CPTED Develop Vacant Lot Intensify Uses

Improve Safety

Sustainable Design

Density/ Zoning Changes

Transportation Connectivity

Short/ Long Term Solutions

Human Scale Mixed Use DEV. Small Scale Shifts in Time Life Cycle Design Complete Street Promote Residential and Transportation Choices Adapt to Business Growth Preserve Identity Development of Nodes Human Scale Complete Street Development of Nodes Multi-modal Transportation Transportation for New DEV. Small Scale Shifts in Time Mixed Use DEV. Transportation to New DEV. Life Cycle Design CPTED Develop Vacant Lot Code Enforcement Adapt to Business Growth

CPTED Complete Streets Interaction/ Privacy Vacant Lots for ReDEV. Code Enforcement Choices for Housing, Transportation, and Commercial

Preserve Identity Mixed Use DEV. Complete Streets DEV. of Nodes

Adapt to Business Growth Sustainable Design Transit for New DEV. DEV. of Nodes

Preserve Identity DEV. of Nodes Choices for Housing, Transportation, and Commercial Transit for New DEV. Code Enforcement Attract Visitors CPTED

Increase Population

Neighborhood Character

SOCIAL

PHYSICAL

Quality and Unique Commercial

Sustainable Solutions Preserve Identity Small Scale Shifts in Time Effective Parking Strategies Intensify Uses Mixed Use DEV.

Multi-modal Transportation Mixed Use DEV. Human Capital Investment Choices for Housing, Transportation, and Commercial

Celebrate and Retain Diversity

Foster Local Market

Connect to Outside Markets

After establishing a matrix of the programmatic elements, a series of diagrams were created to understand the apparent relationships between these programmatic elements. There is a difference between certain elements; some apply to the physical aspect of design and others are more appropriately associated with the social side of design. These two sides of design can be broken down into the elements established in the matrix. The physical and the social sides can also be combined to see the commonalities between the two. These relationships bring forward a certain hierarchy between the programmatic elements established in the matrix. The primary elements emerge frequently throughout the development of the matrices. These elements reappear throughout the programming strategy as the primary elements which serve as the basis for design. Diagramming these phenomena provides a better understanding of the relationships between the elements that comprise the programming strategy and allows achievement of the goals set forth for Independence Avenue and the Northeast.

developing goals

HIERARCH HIERARC HY OF PH PHYSICAL CO CONDITI NDITIO ONS

HIERARCHY OF SOCIAL CONDITIONS

COMPOSITE OF PHYSICAL AND SOCIAL OBJECTIVES ABSTRACTED