To build a thriving, equitable, sustainable economy, Kansas City needs to make it easy for people to obtain and retain employment, within Kansas City and the Kansas City metro area. To support access to jobs, the city must provide a variety of transportation options for commuters and access to reliable internet for those who work remotely.
Access to jobs and job opportunities is both an equity issue and an economic development issue. If employment opportunities are primarily reachable only by personal vehicle, job opportunities and economic mobility will be more limited for lower-income workers without a car. Also, to own and maintain a car, lower-income workers spend a larger proportion of their income than higher-income workers do, which cuts into their household savings and adds to economic disparity.
Providing alternatives to commuting by car can grow the labor pool because workers are more able to access and retain employment. Alternative transit options also benefit the environment by reducing air pollution. Shorter commute times and a variety of transit options will enhance Kansas City’s reputation as a desirable place to work and live, which will help businesses attract job seekers.
It’s just as important that the city has the infrastructure needed to expand opportunities for remote work. That means ensuring all households in Kansas City have reliable internet. Changing preferences in where people want to work and changes in available technology can be harnessed to increase remote work and home-based businesses. The city’s labor pool will grow if more residents are able to learn about, get, and retain remote work opportunities through reliable internet.
To accomplish the Access to Jobs Objective, the city must employ planning tools for land use, economic development, technology, and transportation. Collaboration with economic development and transportation partner agencies and private employers is also important.
By using development form guidelines and land use policies, the city should concentrate jobs and economic activity in areas well-served by public transit and other mobility infrastructure. Also, the city should prioritize upgrades to transportation access in economic corridors. Together, these strategies will improve employment access by adding jobs in existing economic hubs while increasing ways for job seekers to easily access those hubs.
INDICATORS OF SUCCESS
If this Objective is achieved, job opportunities won’t depend on where someone lives or whether they have access to an automobile. The pool of available workers will grow when more jobs are accessible by transit and overall commuting costs are lower. Existing employment centers will grow and densify, spurring the innovation and growth that come when firms and people locate near each other in cities.
BENEFITS
With fewer barriers to full employment, economic output and equity will increase.
Unemployed people will have more access to job opportunities.
Kansas City’s status as an attractive place to live for people who work remotely will grow.
Fewer vehicle miles traveled will mean less associated pollution and wear and tear on roads, and fewer car crashes.
CONTEXT
This Objective has been impacted by many changes over the last two decades. Job sprawl, business and civic leadership, changing technology, and the COVID-19 pandemic have all changed the way planners are addressing jobs access. Jobs access is also a key factor in creating a more equitable city, allowing more people to access opportunities closer to where they live.
Jobs accessible by 30-minute transit trip (increase)
Ratio of transit commutes to drive-alone commute times
KEY CONCEPTS
Promote concentration of jobs in transit-accessible areas
The most cost-effective way to improve jobs access is to encourage employment growth in areas already served by transit. Public transit is most viable in dense, walkable areas where buses and transit vehicles can deliver more passengers to fewer stops.
Transit operating costs typically increase annually. Without new revenue sources, expanding transit coverage to reach jobs in new employment areas is increasingly difficult. Ensuring Greater Downtown and the Central Business Corridorcontinue to be the center of office employment will help consolidate costs and resources. So will growing employment and the density of jobsin and around areasserved by transit and in existing major employment centers such as the Plaza, Ward Parkway South, East Bottoms, the I-29 Corridor north of the river, and the area around Bannister Road and I-435.
Create affordable, mixed-use jobs centers
One way to increase employment access is to ensure major employment centers incorporate a variety of services and has housing that people can afford. This would allow people to live closer to their jobs and to complete related trips (i.e., shopping, errands, or childcare) as a part of their commute. Concentrating these activities in and near employment centers can make commuting easier. Adequate housing near a job center also can help make walking or biking to work easier and reduce dependency on personal vehicles.
Develop programs that encourage a variety of commuting options
Coordination between employers, transit providers, and regional officials to increase options for commuting can improve access to jobs.Groups of employers in business parks, manufacturing areas,institutional campuses, or other districts can coordinate with the city,Kansas City Transportation Authority (KCATA), and the Mid-America Regional Council (MARC), and with special financing districts, to form a Transportation Management Association (TMA) to develop strategies for more commuting options. TMAs can organize and fund carpool groups or shuttles, increase transit service, provide subsidies for a guaranteed ride home, organize vehicle sharing programs, provide free or discounted transit passes, or spearhead other programs to make it easier to commute without a car.
Ensure equitable access to online work and business opportunities
An affordable, reliable high-speed internet connection supports opportunities for remote work and other income. People frequently find and secure jobs online, so the city should partner with service providers and nonprofits to ensure internet access for everyone, bridging the “digital divide” in Kansas City. Increased internet access would open new, entirely remote jobs to people in all areas of the city. It would ease the hiring process for applicants and employers and promote flexible, remote, partially remote, and self-employment opportunities citywide. For more information, see the Smart City Technology and Trends Objective.
COMMUNITY SUPPORTED ACTIONS (CSAs)
Promote the concentration of jobs in transit-accessible areas
AJ-1
Through business attraction and development efforts, encourage businesses to locate new offices and jobs in places well-served by public transit (see Business Attraction and Retention objective for more). Involve public transportation providers in early conversations with employers relocating or expanding in Kansas City.
AJ-2
Identify employment centers during area plan updates and make changes to the land use plans, and zoning to allow multiple uses and higher densities in these centers.
AJ-3
Encourage compact development for medical, educational, and institutional campuses. Use the zoning and development code, overlays, and master planned districts to encourage compact development in these districts to create employment centers that can be served by future alternative transit hubs.
AJ-4
ImplementSmart Moves 3.0strategies and related strategies in the Public Transitobjective to increase transit service coverage to more parts of the region and increase transit service levels in areas already served by transit.
At full buildout of Smart Moves 3.0, fixed route recommendations are projected to increase the number of jobs accessible to the average worker by transit by 47 percent in the morning peak and 122 percent in the late evening.
Create affordable, mixed-use jobs centers
AJ-5
Establish a measurement framework and goals for jobs-housing balance that relates housing costs to the income associated with nearby jobs. Establish goals for affordable housing preservation and production in areas served by transit.
AJ-6
Increase housing near employment centers. Use base zoning districts or overlays to permit more multifamily housing in employment areas. Continue to use incentive tools and the affordable housing trust funds to increase affordable housing in areas with the highest needs.
AJ-7
Increase worker supporting amenities(such as childcare, grocery and convenience stores, restaurants, fitness centers) near employment centers to make transit trips to and from work more convenient.
Develop programs that encourage a variety of commuting options
AJ-8
Create Transportation Management Associations (TMAs) to help commuters travel to and from work. Strategies might include carpool clubs, more fixed-route bus service, free or reduced transit fares, guaranteed rides home, bike and vehicle sharing, and shuttles. Work with Mid-America Regional Council (MARC) and the Kansas City Transportation Authority (KCATA)to establish these TMAs, which can be funded by employers, business park managers, commuters, special districts, economic activity or property tax redirections.
AJ-9
Coordinate with the public transportation providers on service planning and upgrades in office and industrial parks and other freight and logistics hubs.
Ensure equitable access to online work and business opportunities
AJ-10
Continue to increase home internet access by working with non-profits and Internet Service Providers. Work with KC Biz Care to help improve permitting and regulation processes for home-based businesses.
To build a thriving, equitable, sustainable economy, Kansas City needs to make it easy for people to obtain and retain employment, within Kansas City and the Kansas City metro area. To support access to jobs, the city must provide a variety of transportation options for commuters and access to reliable internet for those who work remotely.
Access to jobs and job opportunities is both an equity issue and an economic development issue. If employment opportunities are primarily reachable only by personal vehicle, job opportunities and economic mobility will be more limited for lower-income workers without a car. Also, to own and maintain a car, lower-income workers spend a larger proportion of their income than higher-income workers do, which cuts into their household savings and adds to economic disparity.
Providing alternatives to commuting by car can grow the labor pool because workers are more able to access and retain employment. Alternative transit options also benefit the environment by reducing air pollution. Shorter commute times and a variety of transit options will enhance Kansas City’s reputation as a desirable place to work and live, which will help businesses attract job seekers.
It’s just as important that the city has the infrastructure needed to expand opportunities for remote work. That means ensuring all households in Kansas City have reliable internet. Changing preferences in where people want to work and changes in available technology can be harnessed to increase remote work and home-based businesses. The city’s labor pool will grow if more residents are able to learn about, get, and retain remote work opportunities through reliable internet.
To accomplish the Access to Jobs Objective, the city must employ planning tools for land use, economic development, technology, and transportation. Collaboration with economic development and transportation partner agencies and private employers is also important.
By using development form guidelines and land use policies, the city should concentrate jobs and economic activity in areas well-served by public transit and other mobility infrastructure. Also, the city should prioritize upgrades to transportation access in economic corridors. Together, these strategies will improve employment access by adding jobs in existing economic hubs while increasing ways for job seekers to easily access those hubs.
INDICATORS OF SUCCESS
If this Objective is achieved, job opportunities won’t depend on where someone lives or whether they have access to an automobile. The pool of available workers will grow when more jobs are accessible by transit and overall commuting costs are lower. Existing employment centers will grow and densify, spurring the innovation and growth that come when firms and people locate near each other in cities.
BENEFITS
With fewer barriers to full employment, economic output and equity will increase.
Unemployed people will have more access to job opportunities.
Kansas City’s status as an attractive place to live for people who work remotely will grow.
Fewer vehicle miles traveled will mean less associated pollution and wear and tear on roads, and fewer car crashes.
CONTEXT
This Objective has been impacted by many changes over the last two decades. Job sprawl, business and civic leadership, changing technology, and the COVID-19 pandemic have all changed the way planners are addressing jobs access. Jobs access is also a key factor in creating a more equitable city, allowing more people to access opportunities closer to where they live.
Jobs accessible by 30-minute transit trip (increase)
Ratio of transit commutes to drive-alone commute times
KEY CONCEPTS
Promote concentration of jobs in transit-accessible areas
The most cost-effective way to improve jobs access is to encourage employment growth in areas already served by transit. Public transit is most viable in dense, walkable areas where buses and transit vehicles can deliver more passengers to fewer stops.
Transit operating costs typically increase annually. Without new revenue sources, expanding transit coverage to reach jobs in new employment areas is increasingly difficult. Ensuring Greater Downtown and the Central Business Corridorcontinue to be the center of office employment will help consolidate costs and resources. So will growing employment and the density of jobsin and around areasserved by transit and in existing major employment centers such as the Plaza, Ward Parkway South, East Bottoms, the I-29 Corridor north of the river, and the area around Bannister Road and I-435.
Create affordable, mixed-use jobs centers
One way to increase employment access is to ensure major employment centers incorporate a variety of services and has housing that people can afford. This would allow people to live closer to their jobs and to complete related trips (i.e., shopping, errands, or childcare) as a part of their commute. Concentrating these activities in and near employment centers can make commuting easier. Adequate housing near a job center also can help make walking or biking to work easier and reduce dependency on personal vehicles.
Develop programs that encourage a variety of commuting options
Coordination between employers, transit providers, and regional officials to increase options for commuting can improve access to jobs.Groups of employers in business parks, manufacturing areas,institutional campuses, or other districts can coordinate with the city,Kansas City Transportation Authority (KCATA), and the Mid-America Regional Council (MARC), and with special financing districts, to form a Transportation Management Association (TMA) to develop strategies for more commuting options. TMAs can organize and fund carpool groups or shuttles, increase transit service, provide subsidies for a guaranteed ride home, organize vehicle sharing programs, provide free or discounted transit passes, or spearhead other programs to make it easier to commute without a car.
Ensure equitable access to online work and business opportunities
An affordable, reliable high-speed internet connection supports opportunities for remote work and other income. People frequently find and secure jobs online, so the city should partner with service providers and nonprofits to ensure internet access for everyone, bridging the “digital divide” in Kansas City. Increased internet access would open new, entirely remote jobs to people in all areas of the city. It would ease the hiring process for applicants and employers and promote flexible, remote, partially remote, and self-employment opportunities citywide. For more information, see the Smart City Technology and Trends Objective.
COMMUNITY SUPPORTED ACTIONS (CSAs)
Promote the concentration of jobs in transit-accessible areas
AJ-1
Through business attraction and development efforts, encourage businesses to locate new offices and jobs in places well-served by public transit (see Business Attraction and Retention objective for more). Involve public transportation providers in early conversations with employers relocating or expanding in Kansas City.
AJ-2
Identify employment centers during area plan updates and make changes to the land use plans, and zoning to allow multiple uses and higher densities in these centers.
AJ-3
Encourage compact development for medical, educational, and institutional campuses. Use the zoning and development code, overlays, and master planned districts to encourage compact development in these districts to create employment centers that can be served by future alternative transit hubs.
AJ-4
ImplementSmart Moves 3.0strategies and related strategies in the Public Transitobjective to increase transit service coverage to more parts of the region and increase transit service levels in areas already served by transit.
At full buildout of Smart Moves 3.0, fixed route recommendations are projected to increase the number of jobs accessible to the average worker by transit by 47 percent in the morning peak and 122 percent in the late evening.
Create affordable, mixed-use jobs centers
AJ-5
Establish a measurement framework and goals for jobs-housing balance that relates housing costs to the income associated with nearby jobs. Establish goals for affordable housing preservation and production in areas served by transit.
AJ-6
Increase housing near employment centers. Use base zoning districts or overlays to permit more multifamily housing in employment areas. Continue to use incentive tools and the affordable housing trust funds to increase affordable housing in areas with the highest needs.
AJ-7
Increase worker supporting amenities(such as childcare, grocery and convenience stores, restaurants, fitness centers) near employment centers to make transit trips to and from work more convenient.
Develop programs that encourage a variety of commuting options
AJ-8
Create Transportation Management Associations (TMAs) to help commuters travel to and from work. Strategies might include carpool clubs, more fixed-route bus service, free or reduced transit fares, guaranteed rides home, bike and vehicle sharing, and shuttles. Work with Mid-America Regional Council (MARC) and the Kansas City Transportation Authority (KCATA)to establish these TMAs, which can be funded by employers, business park managers, commuters, special districts, economic activity or property tax redirections.
AJ-9
Coordinate with the public transportation providers on service planning and upgrades in office and industrial parks and other freight and logistics hubs.
Ensure equitable access to online work and business opportunities
AJ-10
Continue to increase home internet access by working with non-profits and Internet Service Providers. Work with KC Biz Care to help improve permitting and regulation processes for home-based businesses.
To build a thriving, equitable, sustainable economy, Kansas City needs to make it easy for people to obtain and retain employment, within Kansas City and the Kansas City metro area. To support access to jobs, the city must provide a variety of transportation options for commuters and access to reliable internet for those who work remotely.