99 Percent Invisible City: Guidebook

99 Percent Invisible: Guidebook Rachel Stagner

Contents Maps 4

St. Louis Map 6

Lawrence Map Kansas City Map Wichita Map

8 10 12

Chapter 1: Inconspicuous

Ubiquitous: (Not So) Hidden Lines

15

Chapter 2: Conspicuous

Identity: City Pride

23

Chapter 3: Infrastructure

Civic: Local Delivery

31

Chapter 4: Architecture

Liminal: Shared Fire Escape

43

Chapter 5: Geography

Delineations: Sunflower State

57

Chapter 6: Urbanism

Hostilities: No Vacancy

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Camouflage: Corner Cell Tower Accretions: Star-Studded Brick

Safety: Remnants of the Past Signage: Best Sign on the Block

Water: Manhole Covers Technology: Neighborhood Substation Roadways: Dead-End Bollards Public: Share the Road

Materials: Found Limestone Regulations: Don’t Steal the Spotlight Towers: Peaking Above the Trees Foundations: Giant Bookshelf Heritage: Beauty with Age

Configurations: Break the Grid Designations: Lined with Trees Landscapes: Ghost Skyline Synanthropes: Wild Birds

Interventions: A Bench for All Catalysts: Reclaiming the Streets

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Extras 77

Maps

St. Louis, MO Map St. Louis is my hometown. I visited some of my favorite neighborhoods to walk in while looking for different urban artifacts.

3.4 4.2

1.1

1.3

2.1 1.2

3.2 2.2

3.3

3.5

1 Mile 6

3.1

4.3

Inconspicuous

1.1 Sidewalk Markings, Paramount Jewelers 1.2 Streetlight Cell Tower 1.3 Brick Anchor Plates

Conspicuous 2.3

2.1 STL Flag, Trattoria Marcella 2.2 Buder Elementary, Fallout Shelter 2.3 Hand Painted Mud House Sign

Infrastructure

3.1 Chouteau Place Post Office 3.2 St. Louis Hills Manhole Cover 3.3 Jamieson Substation 3.4 The Grove Bollards 3.5 Francis Park Bike Lanes

Architecture

4.2 Found Limestone 4.3 Gateway Arch

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Lawrence, KS Map I’ve lived in Lawrence for the past four years. My favorite places to walk around are Hillcrest and the Warehouse District.

4.1

4.4

0.5 Miles 8

6.2

Architecture

4.1 Shared Stairs 4.4 Water Tower Park

Urbanism

6.2 The Wishing Bench 9

Kansas City, MO Map Kansas City is a fun day trip, and a place I’ve visited since I was young.

I love the Art Deco buildings in downtown.

5.6

6.1

4.5

4.6

5.2

0.5 Miles 10

Architecture

4.5 Kansas City Public Library 4.6 Hotel Phillips 6.3

Geography

5.2 Southwest Boulevard, Crossroads 5.5 Bird Scooters

Urbanism

6.1 Uncomfortable Bench 6.3 KC Wineworks Outdoor Seating 11

Wichita, KS Map I recently visited Wichita to help move stuff for my roommate in Lawrence. It was cool to have a fresh pair of eyes in a new city.

5.3

2 Miles 12

5.1

5.4

Geography

5.1 Kansas State Highway Markers 5.3 McLean Boulevard 5.4 Maple Grove Cemetery 13

Chapter 1: Inconspicuous

16

Ubiquitous: (Not So) Hidden Lines

In order to prevent damage to water and gas lines, you always call 311.

This instance of street marking tells the observant viewer more about what lies below the sidewalk.

Despite the asphalt repair being finished, the markings will remain.

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Camouflage: Corner Cell Tower

These streetlights have popped up in the Southhampton Neighborhood in St. Louis. While they look perfectly normal, they hide a cell tower booster. Instead of constructing large and out of place traditional cell towers, these lights help to update the area while fitting the character of the residential area.

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Accretions: Star-Studded Brick

St. Louis is full of old brick buildings. The anchor plates help to hold together the older homes while adding a little Easter egg to those who pass by. St. Louis’ history led to the construction of fire-proof brick buildings, and as the city continues to age, I expect to see more anchor plates dotting the walls of St. Louis.

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Chapter 2: Conspicuous

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Identity: City Pride

St. Louis has a really good flag and a population that is proud of their city. It is unsurprising to see city flags while driving down a street. In fact, these photos were taken on the same two blocks (with even more flags not pictured). The design of the flag is simple and easy to recall.

The Fleur-de-lis is a symbol repeated throughout the city as well.

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Safety: Remnants of the Past

St. Louis has many older brick schools placed within the residential context. When walking around, I noticed an old Fallout Shelter sign on the Susan R. Buder School, marked 100 Capacity. I found it interesting that despite a nuclear fallout being so unlikely, the school had chosen to leave the sign up. The signs are still posted on older civic buildings across the city; a self-guided tour of St. Louis’ former fallout shelters could serve as an introduction to the city’s architecture.

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Signage: Best Sign on the Block

The Mud House is situated within the Lemp Mansion District on Cherokee Street. Surrounded by antique sellers and old three story brick homes, it makes sense that their sign is hand painted. The artist is known for their sign work not only in St. Louis, but internationally. It felt like a little treat spotting the “Phil Jarvis� signature in the corner of the window while sipping my coffee.

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Chapter 3: Infrastructure

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Civic: Local Delivery

This Post Office is located in the Grove neighborhood. While the street is lined with bars and restaurants, the little slice of bureaucracy does not feel out of place. Instead, when I visited to drop off a package, the door had a line of people waiting to get in. It is important to understand the necessity of access to services anywhere people might live. Behind the busy Manchester Rd, there are blocks of single- and multiple-family housing. The murals hint at the age of this location.

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Water: Manhole Covers

Not all of St. Louis’ man hole covers are interesting (the ones just a block away are a simple grid texture to prevent falls), but this one is fun to spot. This design is so beloved, you can order a doormat with it printed on top. But this cover does it’s job: informs those passing by while preventing a slick surface. Another piece of Missouri is present here as well: the concrete is dyed red to match the Missouri Rose granite curbs nearby (granite is taken from Southwest, MO).

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Technology: Neighborhood Substation

Right next to Ted Drewes (a St. Louis icon), there is a substation. It isn’t celebrated from the main street, but back in the alley, you can see it’s interesting form. The fence topped with barbed wire and multiple warning signs send a message: dangerous. While I can’t touch, the visual of wires crossing shooting along the alley reminds me of the life within the city.

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Roadways: Dead-End Bollards

In St. Louis’ The Grove neighborhood, there are a series of blocked streets along Newstead Avenue. This allows for vehicle traffic to move slower on the residential streets while allowing cyclists and pedestrians access. These sphere-shaped bollards can be found in other places around the city, usually under the guise of creating safer blocks and limiting access.

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Public: Share the Road

Francis Park always has people moving about it. Residents walking a dog, someone running, and kids on the playground. But the road around the park is interesting to me. Back-in angled parking (a personal favorite) allows for drivers to have better visibility when leaving; not only can they see cars, but it is also easier to spot cyclists.

The bike lane is used often, and I can see why. The street parking also helps to narrow the road, forcing drivers to feel uncomfortable moving too fast.

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Chapter 4: Architecture

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Liminal: Shared Fire Escape

Semi-Private

Semi-Public

The balconies for this apartment building are linked by an exterior staircase. By facing the balconies and fire stair toward a central courtyard, strangers are dissuaded from entering. While some may think this design is flawed due to a lack of privacy, I believe it works as intended.

The design encourages interaction between neighbors, in the same way someone sitting on a front porch might say hello to a dog walker passing by. These small connections create a sense of community and can lead to meaningful relationships between residents.

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Materials: Found Limestone

While walking around the Grove, I found a collection of architectural remnants in front of and around a fenced in lot. I thought they were interesting but I wasn’t quite sure why they were there. Despite not knowing their origin, it is nice to see the materials with a second purpose: landscaping. The cold winter landscape fit in with the mossy stones and mismatched pieces.

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Regulations: Don’t Steal the Spotlight

When you think of St. Louis, you think of the Gateway Arch. In order to keep the Arch the center of attention, builders are limited by how tall they can go. Six blocks to the west of the Arch (this is directly behind it and the Mississippi River), buildings cannot be taller than the Arch. Beyond that, they are limited to 60 stories. While this has prevented the construction of any super-tall skyscrapers, it keeps the skyline consistent and lets the Arch shine.

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Towers: Peaking Above the Trees

For three years, I have walked, ran, and driven past the Water Tower in Water Tower Park. It always stood out, but it is a piece of the neighborhood. The form contrasts with the purely residential nature of the neighborhood and peaks above the tree line, saying hello to residents.

When I learned that the city would be replacing the tower, it was a sad moment; a piece of Lawrence that I called home was changing (and eventually would be gone).

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Foundations: Giant Bookshelf

The Kansas City Public Library’s parking garage is disguised to look like a row of books. While it is not a true “duck,” it still informs visitors what they will get next door (at the Central Library Branch). By adding the bookends to the garage, the street is a much more lively place to be. I remember seeing it as a kid when I visited and the image has stuck with me through the years. The joys of the library have been clearly expressed on this structure.

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Heritage: Beauty with Age

Hotel Phillips was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1979. The terracotta details on the front of the building are in beautiful condition and the interior invites people in from off the street. While downtown Kansas City has many examples of beautiful brick, this Art Deco building is one of my favorites. The Goddess of Dawn statue inside (drawn above) makes guests want to linger in the lobby for a little while longer.

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Chapter 5: Geography

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Delineations: Sunflower State

One of my favorite things about Kansas is the use of a flower outline on the state highway signs. Growing up in Missouri, it was always just the state outline. But seeing the cheerful yellow flowers along the highway always make my day a little brighter when I drive through Kansas.

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Configurations: Break the Grid

Southwest Boulevard in the Crossroads cuts through the gridded streets. While it makes for a difficult hairpin turn, it also adds interest to the area. The buildings along it mirror the angle, creating a “main street� for visitors on First Fridays.

The odd triangular lots left behind also help to shape the experience of pedestrians. When turning a corner, there is a true reveal, with more interest than a regular 90 degree street.

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Designations: Lined with Trees

Driving along McLean Boulevard in Wichita, KS, I can imagine how this will feel in five or ten years. The trees will provide shade and protection, while framing the view of the driver. Boulevards are one of the most recognizable roads because they are so pleasant. Here, it helps to divide traffic while also making the edge of the Little Arkansas River more scenic.

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Landscapes: Ghost Skyline

The landscape surrounding Maple Grove Cemetery is a mix of houses with different styles and a noisy road bounding the north. When you pull into the landscape, you are transported to a place of quiet and reflection.

The place is strange because of the feeling of treading over someone’s final resting spot. Instead of being used as a park, it is a careful manicured landscape that only ghosts occupy. While homes looking onto a park may be seen as desirable, homes facing a graveyard don’t have the same appeal.

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Synanthropes: Wild Birds

Because of the wintry temperatures, I don’t see many animals out and about right now. However, the cold hasn’t stopped Bird Scooters from appearing on the streets. Even on a rainy day, people hop on and scoot through the city.

I’m glad that Lawrence is free from the Bird invasion so our streets are not littered with knocked over scooters and the occasional drunk rider.

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Chapter 6: Urbanism

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Hostilities: No Vacancy

The most subtle of hostile architecture (in my opinion) is the middle arm rest on a bench. These benches prevent people from resting comfortably and can cause discomfort for larger people. While seeing someone asleep in a public place

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Interventions: A Bench for All

I’m not sure when the Wishing Bench appeared, but it’s been in Lawrence as long as I have. It doesn’t have an owner, yet people take care of and treat the bench with care. My favorite part about the bench is that anyone can come and leave their mark on it. The tid bits tied on and stickers plastered on the columns show that Lawrence has made this little mystery their own.

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Catalysts: Reclaiming the Streets

Because of the pandemic, restaurants have been getting creative with how they accommodate diners outside their four walls. Taking a lead from Parking Day and Pocket Parks, businesses are spilling onto the street by taking over street parking. KC Wineworks put up a platform complete with string lights and safety railings so that diners can sit under the stars. It is cool to see a tactical urbanism technique used across the country.

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Extras

While documenting my surrounds these past few weeks, I found different things that didn’t necessarily fit into the framework of the book, but fascinated my nonetheless.

Above: A mural on the side of the Garcia Property Management Building To the left: A second Fallout Shelter sign at McKinley Middle School, near Lafayette Square 78

Above: The original Uncle Bill’s Pancake House, complete with neon sign (the pancakes truly are some of the best I’ve had) To the left: Street art in Westport, KC that slows vehicles and protects pedestrians

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Above: A pedestrian cut through in the Southhampton neighborhood; this allows for easy movement between the long blocks

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To the left: A brick crosswalk near Francis Park that slows vehicles down

Above: A stencil mural in the Lemp Mansion District, complete with reference to King Louis IX To the left: A bike rack near Ice’s Creamery, in the shape of an arch 81