The Commons

I-35 Underpass project for BikewalkKC

It was a cold night, but we didn't let it stop us from creating an enjoyable atmosphere under the typically underused I-35 underpass...showing locals and out-of-towners how a simple change can make a big difference. Helping people traverse ...

safely under falling pigeon poop, raising awareness about events and places in the community while warming hands and bringing back campfire memories at the s'mores cart...sometimes it's the simple things in the most unexpected places that best connect you to one another and your city!

Crossing Guards for Imaginary People

Eco Abet is pleased announce that 2012 charrette I-35 underpass project team is making a post charrette event to take the project forward. Look forward to seeing you all on Oct 5th I-35 and 23rd street.

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

ART AUCTION to benefit 816 Bike Collective New Building

The 816 Bicycle Collective is a sustainable community resource that advocates for the ecologically intelligent act of cycling, and provides accessible bicycle education. We are a bike shop that offers tools, parts, recycled bicycles, and volunteer mechanics, and that provides services to everyone who asks without discrimination. Currently there are no bicycle shops in Kansas City that deal in used parts, or cater to commuters who do not have the financial means to afford commercial bicycle shop prices.
When we opened our doors we had four key-holding members; today we’ve doubled that number and have a consistent, generous volunteer base, plus an ever-growing base of customers. On any given day, the collective may serve a pack of ravenous children, a fair-weather rider, a homeless individual or a young college student. We believe that building bicycles collaboratively is an empowering activity, and fosters an environment that creates a healthy, positive community

We are all volunteers; we have no paid staff and have never been funded through a major grant or endowment. Our operation has been a grassroots endeavor, with financial support coming mainly from individuals and community groups who believe in our work. All of our tools, parts and bicycles have been generously donated.

When we first came together to start this project in 2007, we chose to revitalize a rented building in a blighted area. We mobilized the community and raised finances to turn a moldy storage area into a functional bike shop. Over time it became apparent that the poor condition of the building was holding us back from functioning at our full capabilities, and that as renters we had no means to implement the improvements.

We embarked on a fundraising effort, and purchased a building at the county delinquent tax auction. We wanted to tap into the pool of 7,000 abandoned buildings in our community, and provide a stable future for the organization. We hope to be a model for other groups who want to have long-term community impact and create social capital, by encouraging them to see the potential in blighted areas and make a sustainable investment there.

The storefront of this facility has better pedestrian traffic, and triples the square footage of our old building, while remaining invested in the same neighborhood. We envision using the new space to create a hub of bicycle advocacy and activity in the Kansas City area. We would like to expand beyond the current 816 Bicycle Collective workshop, to include office space for other bicycle advocacy groups, and to reach out across the geographically extensive Kansas City
metro area. We would like to function as a headquarters, facilitator and guide, promoting bicycle related activities and businesses in our region.

Our vision goes further. As we continue to train more and more volunteers, we have aspirations to someday create a space that encourages other forms of community outreach. We will expand our youth programming, offer specialty classes for adults, and organize more city lobbying towards bicycle advocacy. We have the skills and tools, and soon we will have the facility and programming to embark on localized production of merchandise, bike frames, parts and bicycle-powered technology.

In order to move forward we have to first undertake some essential renovations to the building. We are reaching out to the Kansas City community to help us expedite this transition. Already, many community members, skilled laborers and politicians are stepping up to lend a hand for the move, and to help in the reconstruction effort.

Our goal is to raise $50,000.00 by the end of this fall. We have been offered resources from various local contractors and partners that will leverage this amount to achieve a swift project completion. If we meet this goal we can expect to move in and have our shop operational by next summer.
We have plans for several fundraising initiatives including an innovative three-tiered art auction, and are hoping that as an active and influential member of our community, you might have some ideas or connections that would assist us in implementing these programs in some way.

We are anxious to move in and move up in our role in this community. We would be so grateful if you would be willing to participate in a brief phone call or meeting to discover ways in which you could perhaps assist us in this impactful and worthwhile endeavor.

For more information about how you can help us please contact:
Idris Raoufi
(816) 918-5142
Kcbikefed@gmail.com