Project Statement:
Interstate 35 was constructed in Kansas City, Missouri in the late 1960’s as part of a contiguous highway system connecting Laredo, Texas to Duluth, Minnesota. The construction of Interstate 35 was a small fraction of a larger network of superhighways known officially today as the Dwight D. Eisenhower System of Interstate and Defense Highways.
Regionally, Interstate 35 travels northeast from Wichita, through the Flint Hills and farmland of southeastern Kansas, past truck stops, through toll booths, through Emporia, Ottawa, and then the vast suburban sprawl of Johnson County. It intersects its own loops, I-435 and I-635, eases north, revealing Midtown, the BMA tower, and Crown Center, then east and north again, towards the Kansas City skyline, parallels Southwest Boulevard, crosses the state line into Missouri, surges up and over abandoned back yards of the Sacred Heart Neighborhood, over train tracks and small
warehouses, over the Boulevard itself, over the back yards and streets of the West Side neighborhood, abruptly assumes the west edge of downtown before intersecting Interstate 670, then Interstate 70. 35 briefly joins 70, dives below overpasses, severs downtown from the Historic Rivermarket, rises again as the unwarranted south edge of Columbus Park, then peels off, bending towards the Missouri River, then up, over the river to the Northland, home of ex-mayor Kay Barnes, new-urban Zona Rosa, and
countless interstate hotels. North of the airport, Platte City gives way to another rural stretch, this time in Missouri, and I-35 opens up, stretching out towards Iowa, Des Moines a quick 200 miles away.
The American Interstate System rivals rivers, mountains, and oceans as the generative physical force behind the ways our cities look, function, and feel. This project will reconsider the elevated stretch of Interstate 35 that implies the western edge of the Crossroads District and the ruthless divide between the Westside Neighborhood and the rest of the city.
Specifically, the project will consider this interstate scenario “as is” and re-think the underbelly of this aging piece of infrastructure with an intervention that will amplify authentic relationships between the Westside and the Crossroads and create an innovative model for urban and civic engagement.
We will consider the history of politics informing the current location of Interstate 35, the current urban context (the gentrification the Westside Neighborhood, the completion of the new Performing Arts Center, the evolving state of the Crossroads, etc), and future urban implications resulting from decisions we make about aging infrastructure today.
The underbelly of elevated interstates is as peripherally familiar as road signs, brick facades, and street lighting. At times shelter, at times storage, at times forbidden, this found urban space remains a missed opportunity by most cities, and more importantly, by the local communities that surround it. We will focus on the segment of space below I-35 between Southwest Boulevard and 20th Street and explore site specific installations catalyzing communal urban activity. The programming for these
interventions will be based on BikeWalk KC initiatives, el dorado’s 20th Street Streetscape plan, and GDAP, and could range from lighting installations to mixed-use architectural constructions.
BikeWalk KC is the unified voice for active living, promoting a healthy, safe and accessible outdoor experience for all in a vibrant, engaged community. They are a member-supported organization that works to make Greater Kansas City a safer and more accessible place to walk, bicycle, live, work, and play. Their advocacy programs work with local cities to improve policies and build sidewalks, trails, crosswalks, bike lanes, and more. Their education programs give people the knowledge and skills to walk and to bicycle safely and confidently for transportation, recreation, and fitness.
The Need: As one of the largest metro areas without a dedicated regional voice for advocacy and education, Kansas City has long had walking and bicycling rates less than half the national average. Plus, we have been at the forefront of public health crises like obesity and diabetes.
Campaigns: Bicycle Friendly Communities, Walk Friendly Communities, MetroGreen,
State Rail Trail Connections
Programs: Take a Class, BikeShareKC, Valet Bicycle Parking, Bike Week, Car Free
Challenge, Open Streets / Ciclovia
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