Kansas City, Missouri
This is Missouri’s first Planning and Environmental Linkages (PEL) project, and included exploring opportunities to condense and/or relocate the existing I-70 Highway that currently separates the River Market and Central Business Districts in Downtown Kansas City, Missouri.
Confluence led the urban planning components of this study as part of a multi-disciplinary team, analyzing opportunities for transforming and supporting future growth and urban revitalization in the northern section of Downtown Kansas City. Alternative options for the Central Business District encourage appropriately scaled infill development and integrated open spaces, fostering a healthy and active urban environment for the Downtown area.
These alternatives included an option for complete highway removal to make way for new mixed-use development, an integrated environmental stormwater feature, conceptual alignments for replacement of the Buck O'Neil Bridge and replacement of the existing Missouri 9 Highway with an at-grade boulevard configuration.