Programming the West Bottoms

PROGRAMMING WEST BOTTOMS.2010

Kansas City Design Center Urban Design Studio 2010-2011 Amy Finnerty Jesse Husmann Alex Miller Sarah Murphy Alyssa Parsons Sarah Pink Kyle Rogler Edited By Jesse Husmann The Kansas City Design Center supports educational initiatives that help build public awareness of the factors that influence the character of the public realm.

The KCDC also works to strengthen the educational experience of future design practitioners by engaging university faculty and students with real-world issues facing Kansas City’s built environment.

Our educational programs are built around our resident urban design studio, through which faculty and students form partnerships with local client groups to develop design concepts and implementation proposals addressing major architectural, urban design and urban planning issues throughout metropolitan Kansas City.

The KCDC also coordinates and facilitates academic studio projects by faculty from our affiliated programs.

Copyright 2010 Kansas City Design Center Urban Design Studio. All rights reserved.

CONTENTS WEST BOTTOMS.2010

building use program context

02 04 07 13

urban proposals

22

zoning parcels

Entertainment Retail Education Health Civic Sports Housing Riverfront Forgotten Temporary Pastoral Hybrid Multi-Layer

ZONING 02

Zoning is a system of regulated site functions. This system occurs on a regional scale, separating discrete functions from one another to provide an order to a city in terms of use. The complexity of functions can occur in several ways: 1. Overlay districts add a second layer of regulation to existing zoning.

2. Zones themselves are not as discrete as their mapping implies. For example, commercial functions are allowed within some industrial zoning ordinances, but residential is not allowed in industrial.

3. Setbacks and Floor-to-Area ratio determine the city density and the size of the parcel that an individual needs to develop.

Zoning also represents development of a site over time. It is both planned by city offices and appealed by individual property owners and developers to control land use. Most of the KC Metro region’s floodway is zoned “M”—industrial. This reflects its historical use when all industrial functions needed an accessible location to the river to transport goods.

The transportation type shifted to the railroad system which occupied the flat, low-lying floodplain areas of Kansas City. It was then maintained by the existing industries interest in the now-built resources.

AG

AG

R

R

R-1

R-1

R-1(B)

R-1(B)

R-1A

R-1A

R-2

R-2

R-2(B)

R-2(B)

R-3

R-3

R-4

R-4

R-5

R-5

R-6

R-6

R-M

R-M

TND

TND

B-P

B-P

C-0

C-0

C-1

C-1

C-2

C-2

C-3

C-3

C-D

C-D

M-1

M-1

M-2

M-2

M-3

M-3

URD

URD

DX

zoning

GDAP zoning

PARCELS 04

The purpose of studying parcels and ownership was to understand a different dimension that can not be seen, but has a huge impact on what occurs in the West Bottoms today and on any future development.

This study revolved around parcel data gathered from governments on both sides of the state line.

The first examination was of basic parcel data and the differences between the two states. We looked at the number of parcels: Missouri has 341 parcels in the West Bottoms, and there are 149 in Kansas.

This was followed by a study of the parcels by area. Initially, the difference between Kansas and Missouri is immediately evident: the parcels on the Kansas side are larger and the Missouri side is made of of many smaller plots. In a more comprehensive study of the parcels by area, we were able to identify that the area around James St. on the Kansas side of the state line has a very similar fabric to the historic core on the Missouri side. Additionally, the parcels in the south and in the industrial areas have a similar size, despite their state.

The next study was of the void areas in the parcel map. These are the areas that are devoted to right-of-ways for the interstates, streets, or railroads.

One of the most important pieces in this series was that which looked for trends in ownership. We were interested in the number of owners, those with the most holdings, and whether they lived locally or were from distant states. There were fewer trends related to ownership than we expected. A few large landholders were determined. Some of these were due to Planned Industrial Expansion Areas (PIEAs), and others were individual stakeholders. One of the largest landowners in the West Bottoms is the government. The entire area to the northwest and the majority of the area around Kemper Arena is owned by some government entity. The most informative part of this study showed that the majority of owners in the West Bottoms actually reside in or near Kansas City; there are few foreign landholders.

This series is just the beginning of our examination of the parcel and ownership data. Smaller regional studies will revisit this information in order to identify localized trends or specific property owners.

Kansas City, KS or MO Missouri Resident Kansas Resident Other Unknown

void parcels

owner residency

parcel ownership

parcels by area

BUILDING USE 07

This study is done to understand the current use of individual buildings in the West Bottoms. In order to have an informed idea of what program needs to be added in the future we must do a study to know what currently exists. By doing this, we can begin to recognize patterns of use in the area, and use it to supplement decisions.

We have broken building use into six categories: artists/galleries, dining, retail, other commercial, residential, and industrial.

artists gallery

dining

retail

other commercial

residential

industrial

mixed used

seasonal use

vacant partial vacancy occupied

sale or lease

vacancy factor

PROGRAM CONTEXT 13

This map shows data-based patterns of different types of development relevant to our programming of the West Bottoms. Through the mapping of individual locations of program, we can see the form development and program takes throughout the metro region on a larger scale. Patterns of economic centers in KCK and KCMO start to appear: more clustered condensed development in the centers, linear development in the less urban areas.

These maps show the precedent of program for the site and surrounding area, also proving useful to see what is not present programmatically. For example, the entire floodway of the Missouri and Kansas Rivers is currently railroad, manufacturing, distribution, civic infrastructure, or industrial storage; any effort to connect with a riparian environment would be beyond a unique opportunity for Kansas City.

ENTERTAINMENT 14

RESTAURANTS TS

ARENAS AS

THEATERS RS

HOTELS LS

MUSEUMS/ S/ ATTRACTIONS NS

RETAIL 15

basics cs (laundry, dry cleaners, rs, e drug store, liquor store, market, grocery, hardware, thrift)

shopping ng ry, (nail salon, jewelry, s clothing, electronics, home decor, beauty, shoe, pet, boutique)

arts ts rt, (museum, art, ry) craft, gallery)

industry ry to, (scrap, tool, auto, k) lumber, truck)

entertainment nt eo, (music, club, video, taxi, adult, tobacco, gentlemens’ club)

hospitality ty nt) (hotel, bar, restaurant)

money ey ns, (bank, atm, payday loans, n) pawn)

EDUCATION 16

Elementary ry Schools ols

Middle le Schools ols

High gh Schools ols

Colleges es and Universities ies

HEALTH 17

Facilities es Hospitals, Cancer er centers, Mental al clinics, Chiropractic centers, ear and eye care offices, Dentistry offices, Physician centers

CIVIC 18

civic ic

SPORTS 19

SPORTS VENUE LAND USAGE

HOUSING 20

HOUSING PROGRAM RIVER SYSTEM MIXED USE RESIDENTIAL

RIVERFRONT 21

RIVERFRONT PROGRAM INDUSTRIAL AREA RAIL YARD POWER PLANT PORT AIRPORT

CASINO OTHER COMMERCIAL MIXED USE RESIDENTIAL SCHOOL PARK BOAT RAMP WETLAND AGRICULTURAL WATER TREATMENT

URBAN PROPOSALS 22

Programming the West Bottoms involves a careful consideration of all current conditions and analysis previously studied. The intent is to generate an urban proposal based on precedents, analysis of the program context, and ideas of urban design. As a whole, the proposals examine the quality of buildings, spaces, and texture within the West Bottoms to inform design. The West Bottoms has the potential to utilize several urban scenes ranging from temporary uses to a pastoral image.

FORGOTTEN CITY 23

description

CONCEPT The West Bottoms was Kansas City’s first thriving downtown at the turn of the century and has since been heavily neglected due to floods from adjacent rivers and a decline in the industrial need for the area. The proximity to the river has caused the West Bottoms to become an undesirable place to live or work, and the once residential areas and industrial waterfront to become abandoned. Because of the area’s low topographical level and the potential threat of flooding, the greater downtown area moved to higher grounds directly adjacent to the West Bottoms. Major viaducts were constructed to allow for vehicular traffic travelling from bordering districts to easily pass over the area.

ISSUE The various historic restrictions have caused a hesitation to rebuild and repopulate the West Bottoms. As a result, the history of many buildings and areas throughout the West Bottoms are now vacant and a substantial number of spaces are overlooked. Flooding is still a concern today for the entire area. The historical importance of areas, such as the stockyards and the historic building stock, is unknown by many Kansas City residents. The majority of the buildings along James Street where residential once thrived, are currently underused. Kemper Arena, once a prosperous event hub, is now frequently inactive throughout the year. The Lewis & Clark Viaduct is heavily travelled, however it runs directly across the West Bottoms without access to the area below, providing further unused ground level spaces.

context

FORGOTTEN CITY 24

program

Preservation Improve energy use of and preserve historic building facades Reinstate historic residential district Emphasize and promote current art districts Restore wharf as a continual recreation node Enhance underside of viaducts via parks, temporary or permanent activity _Bike paths _Skateboard parks _Rock climbing walls _Events stage _Temporary structures for food stands, markets _Mural walls

Monuments Accent old stockyard district Restore historic buildings Reactivate Kemper Arena as a continually active venue _Soccer fields _Concert halls

Connections Docks/riverfront walkways, lookouts Seasonal river activities Open spaces/riverfront and residential district Improve pedestrian bridges Improve sidewalks along major arterials Emphasize views of downtown _Parks, open space _Paths, benches, vegetation

proposal

To restore historically important areas and provide better access and awareness of the West Bottoms through programming specific abandoned aspects.

A focus must be made towards bringing life and activity back through careful design, while maintaining and emphasizing the richness of the West Bottom’s history and present conditions.

TEMPORARY CITY 25

description ISSUE The temporary city is formed by events, activities, and seasons filling avaliable infrastructure and opportunistic infrasturcture filling in in the case of an event. The temporary city is in direct relationship with the “human City� precedents.

The West Bottoms has a surplus of open and event space without the density of population or interest to sustain their continual use. Therefore, temporary and isolated staged events are pointedly and artifically inserted within them. The hopes of this, however, is to create an end result which is the permanently temporary city -- an active urban environment which is constantly moving and changing, the new feeding and working off the energy of the old.

INTENT Identifying and clarifying the single-function and under-used open spaces in the city opens up potential for program to invade temporarily, changing both the perception of the space and the physical space itself. Interventions (like using the underside of the 12 st bridge as a marketplace linking downtown, the West Side, and the West Bottoms; using lighting to draw people to 670 at Liberty as a connector, plaza, and meeting place; understanding the relationship of brownfields to temporary raingardens and their reclamation), can temporarily change an open space into a key part of the urban environment.

TEMPORARY CITY 26

right of ways

vacant buildings

proposal

Five types of potential spaces the temporary city can inhabit have been identified and mapped: EMPTY SPACE is any amount of land currently left completely devoid of program. It can easily be used for events and gatherings, where the land itself becomes the plane of activity.

RIGHTS-OF-WAY create both barriers and residual space. The underside of overpasses can be reclaimed for pedestrian function through the use of temporary structures that don’t interfere with problems of maitenance and ownership.

PARKING SPACE can be understood as urban space through painting lines for playground/basketball.

Permeable pavement responds to the temporary quality of flooding, stormwater management and brownfield reclamation. Sometimes parking is a pedestrian path or meeting place. Trailers inhabit the parking lots south of 670 for weeks during the American Royal.

STORAGE SPACE: Trucks frame and change urban walls: manipulating truck routes and loading docks forms unique spaces.

VACANT BUILDINGS: through a re-evaluation of the values of renting versus owning a property, short term renting of difficult-to-sell buildings can become activity centers and venues for experimental ventures.

TEMPORARY CITY 27

EMPTY

PASTORAL CITY 28

description

CONCEPT “Beneath diverse efforts lay the belief that urban life could be made more meaningful by reestablishing the connection among nature, rusticity, and the city.”

- James L. Machor It is essential for humanity to have a connection with nature. The idyllic “Garden City” and other similar plans made this idea a cultural standard.

Generally this has resulted in growth away from the city out into greenfields or in a desire to escape from the city into the country.

However, in the case of the West Bottoms there is a unique opportunity to look inward with the realization that there is potential for a pastoral city to be found there. With this proposal, nature no longer has to exist outside of the city; we can come to the city to find nature.

ISSUE The desire to reconnect with nature is what drove suburban expansion from the start. Kansas City, like many other metro areas, has spread well beyond its city limits. This trend has taken up more space faster than it can be occupied or fully used. Additionally the spread has emptied and created open space in the city center.

The West Bottoms is a prime example of this. It has a prominent location at the confluence of the Kansas and Missouri Rivers, but because of its location in the floodplain and its perpetual industrial function, it has resulted in a riverfront absent of development or amenities for the greater community of Kansas City. However, the opportunity remains viable. The West Bottoms has the unique position of being located between two downtowns. There is ample amount of open space which provides an opportunity and potential for reclamation and the chance to give this space back to the city.

The changing use of the area and the large concentration of open space can begin to redefine use, buildings can house new functions, and program usually found in the outskirts can return. This city can be marked by the idyllic landscape and functions of the countryside.

context

affected area

program RECREATIONAL CITY MAP RIVERFRONT HOSPITALITY AGRICULTURE

Riverfront recreational facilities _ballfields _skating rink _pool _climbing wall _running track playgrounds trail/boardwalk _scenic overlooks rental facilities _boat & bike marina _boat house _boat rides regattas/events Agriculture urban farms ranch _horse trails market wooded areas _birdwatching solar farms _PV panels nature reserve wetlands Hospitality parks _conservatory gardens _open-air art exhibits hotel _camping areas _bed and breakfasts _vacation homes restaurants retail _boutiques events _concerts _sporting events _open-air theaters _theme parks visitor center

PASTORAL CITY 29

proposal

To create a destination that is the only one of its kind; a recrecreational city marked by open green space in the heart of Kansas City.

Functions that have been reassigned for the outskirts or countryside due to spatial considerations can now be relocated here. This action can be permanent, reclaiming the open space in a way that maintains the maximum open space possible. It will be necessary to concentrate the support functions to specific limited areas. These will provide additional amenities to the population and will facilitate and maintain the open green space.

This concept and development will take advantage of an existing condition that is an accidental circumstance. It will create a deliberate intervention that will be an asset for the greater Kansas City area, and will make the West Bottoms a true destination.

But New York, in addition to being a lot of other things, is a Venice in the making, and all the ugly paraphernalia by means of which this making is slowly going forward, all the unlovely processes, physical and chemical, structural and commercial, must be recognized and expressed and by the light of poetic vision be made a part of its beauty and romance.

-J. Monroe Hewlett, New York: The Nation’s Metropolis

HYBRID CITY 30

description

The West Bottoms exists as a working city with the infrastructure and development to maintain the industry in place. The potential to create a living city within this model is immense, and the ability to maintain industry while incorporating mixed-use development against the fabric of roadways, rail, and the levee offers prospective urban space.

Property may not be used as intended in certain areas without violating zoning ordinances. Non-conforming use, conditional use, variances, and spot zoning are exceptions to ordinances to allow certain uses or applications to exist that zoning would otherwise disallow.

The West Bottoms operates on two levels of city: within the district and the greater context of Kansas City. The intersection occurring at the 12th street bridge and the I-670 off-ramps act as an interstitial space, a temporary function. Kemper Arena and the wharf – underutilized – act as temporary functions within the greater context of the city.

The events that occur between the conventional sense of city restate how a medley of episodes creates urban intensification. The texture of urban fragments within the West Bottoms fundamentally creates an urban scene plotting the future activity of residents and visitors.

INTENT The character and life that currently resides in the West Bottoms presents opportunities for creative interventions. Areas of overlap within function allow the West Bottoms to emphasize certain conditions and express this occurrence. The parallel between vehicle and rail traffic, industry and mixed-use development, resident and visitor has the potential to create an urban setting.

context

HYBRID CITY 31

uses

mixed-use industrial city function

proposal

Attaching program to specific areas will enable functions to exist within set boundaries of urban flux. This allows the city to act in its intended nature. The process of zoning parcels to specific uses or functions which embody the city as is informs the dual nature of the West Bottoms.

The animation of vehicle and rail traffic is part of the pleasure of inhabiting the city. The connections from the greater downtowns of Kansas City, Kansas and Kansas City, Missouri uproot the established proximity of West Bottoms and inherently bring people into the city.

Intersections are celebrated; they are confidently defined by a relationship to city coexisting with the local context. Key intersections allow movement through space, but great areas provide a reason to stop. The rhythm of the city depends on the experience as a cohesive entity – as a community. The seductive nature of intersections provide encounters between people and the city, enhancing the urban network.

MULTI-LAYER CITY 32

description

The West Bottoms is a unique area that can be experienced from different vantage points. Those vantage points are the pedestrian level, the elevated highway, the floodplain, the airport flyover zone, and the bluff of the greater downtown.

Each of these points influence how buildings and the West Bottoms are perceived.

This leads to a sectional use of the West Bottoms. Many functions exist on the first floor of a building with the floors above vacant, or building facades featuring company names or advertisments high above the streets.

This unique context presents an opporunity to program the city in section in a radical way. The program and use of the building take advantage of these different vantage points to create new types of hybrid buildings that might otherwise not be considered under traditional zoning. This leads to a city planned in section, the multi-layer city.

INTENT As a response to these various vantage points, a vertical zoning program will be utilized to take advantage of the CID’s unique spatial conditions.

context

MULTI-LAYER CITY 33

pedestrian city

billboard city

proposal

Each unique experience sets aside a series of programming considerations that respond to its condition.

Pedestrian: Pedestrian zoning is applied to all buildings within the West Bottoms. The pedestrian provides the base program for mixed-use zoning. Functions at the ground level are in the realm of the pedestrian and will be zoned for public and service programs. Areas 20-30 feet above the pedestrian are zoned as semi-public functions. Above this area is the private zone.

These functions are determined by the work done by Jan Gehl in his book, Life Between Buildings: Using Public Space.

Elevated Roadway: The highway is the realm of billboards. The Highway Scans show how the experience of city from this level is different from the ground plane. Levels parallel to and above this ground plane are the most visible to those on the highways. Functions that occur below the roadway are unseen. Programs such as billboards, ads, and public functions will be placed where visibility is best. The program for the car is non-existent where access is the least.

MULTI-LAYER CITY 34

floodplain city

flyover city

proposal

Floodplain: The floodplains represent the danger and potential damage that can occur at these ground planes. The 100-year floodplain of Turkey Creek has the most tangible impact in the CID. Areas within this ground plane should have temporary functions. Areas cleared of this ground plane are safer for permanence in their program (housing, offices, secrets, banks).

Flyover: The flyover zone has a substantial impact in determining the maximum height and floor area ratio of each building. Along with these physical limitations placed on the buildings, it will create a unique experiential phenomenon.

The programming considerations are very similar to the elevated roadway, where public programs relating to flight exist on the top of a building and private functions exist at the bottom of a building.