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Up To Date

Kansas City is not very walkable. What can be done about it?

By Steve Kraske,
Zach Wilson
Published September 26, 2022 at 3:20 PM CDT
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The intersection at 31st Street and Van Brunt is one of the "cursed" intersections most hated by Kansas Citians.
Savannah Hawley
/
KCUR 89.3
The intersection of 31st Street and Van Brunt in Kansas City is an example of car dependent infrastructure that is difficult to navigate for pedestrians.

Kansas City has a reputation for being car dependent and unsafe for pedestrians. The city might have a long way to go before it becomes a truly walkable city, but people are working toward that change.

Recent reporting from The Kansas City Beacon highlighted the ways in which walkability in Kansas City is an equity issue.

KCUR's Up To Date was joined by journalist Mili Mansaray and Kansas City Councilman Eric Bunch to talk about how the city is making an effort to become safer and improve walkability, and what's being done to make pedestrian infrastructure more equitable.

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Up To Date Podcasturban designinfrastructurepedestrianswalkingKansas City Missouri (KCMO)
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Steve Kraske
When I host Up To Date each morning at 9, my aim is to engage the community in conversations about the Kansas City area’s challenges, hopes and opportunities. I try to ask the questions that listeners want answered about the day’s most pressing issues and provide a place for residents to engage directly with newsmakers. Reach me at steve@kcur.org or on Twitter @stevekraske.
See stories by Steve Kraske
Zach Wilson
As Up To Date’s senior producer, I want to pique the curiosity of Kansas Citians and help them understand the world around them. Each day, I construct conversations with our city’s most innovative visionaries and creatives, while striving to hold elected officials accountable and amplifying the voices of everyday Kansas Citians. Email me at zach@kcur.org.
See stories by Zach Wilson
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