© 2024 Kansas City Public Radio
NPR in Kansas City
Play Live Radio
Next Up:
0:00
0:00
0:00 0:00
Available On Air Stations

Aerial Photos Document 18th Street's Hostility To Pedestrians

Michael Schmidt
/
Confluence

In downtown Kansas City, Mo., the stretch along 18th Street between the Crossroads Arts District and the 18th and Vine Jazz District is roughly a little over a mile — but this span includes 52.5 acres of paved surface lots. That's more than at Arrowhead Stadium and Kauffman Stadium combined.

Vast parking lots are a problem for cities across the country, but in 2014, Kansas City made the Final Four in Streetsblog's  "Parking Madness" bracket for its "pockmarked asphalt wilderness." This can have a negative impact on a city's health. As CityLab puts it, "surface parking lots create an atmosphere that's inherently hostile to the pedestrian."

So — why walk on 18th Street? 

Two landscape architecture students at Iowa State University have spent the last two semesters working on a project called 18th Street Reimagineddreaming up ways to connect the two districts. They're envisioning how the street can be a "better place to live, work, and play," and plan to share their findings with the public this spring.

For now, here's what 18th Street looks like at the Highway 71 underpass: 

Credit Michael Schmidt / Confluence
/
Confluence

Credit Michael Schmidt / Confluence
/
Confluence

Credit Michael Schmidt / Confluence
/
Confluence

Kansas City is known for its style of jazz, influenced by the blues, as the home of Walt Disney’s first animation studio and the headquarters of Hallmark Cards. As one of KCUR’s arts reporters, I want people here to know a wide range of arts and culture stories from across the metropolitan area. I take listeners behind the scenes and introduce them to emerging artists and organizations, as well as keep up with established institutions. Send me an email at lauras@kcur.org or follow me on Twitter @lauraspencer.
KCUR serves the Kansas City region with breaking news and award-winning podcasts.
Your donation helps keep nonprofit journalism free and available for everyone.