Public Spaces

Public spaces foster a strong, community-focused society by providing venues for social interaction, economic activity, and physical health. Enhancements to public spaces beautify the city and promote the individual character of neighborhoods, corridors, and districts. Public Spaces are areas everyone can access. They are streets, sidewalks, plazas, public gathering places, public facilities, and open green spaces. They can be publicly or privately owned.

When pedestrians and bicyclists use public space, it encourages everyone to use non-motorized modes of transportation, and the environment benefits, through lower greenhouse gas emissions. Public spaces are also opportunities for the city to increase landscaping and green infrastructure to help manage stormwater runoff, improve air and water quality, and reduce the urban heat-island effect.

Public spaces help define neighborhoods and are integral in city place-making. The design of public spaces is shaped by the people who use them. Well-designed public spaces, with activities and events for the public, can shape the identity of a community, create public gathering places, and allow people to more fully enjoy the city. Because public spaces are so integral to communities, they must be planned for at the start of new capital improvement and development projects rather than retrofit into projects after they are built.

The city must standardize and simplify processes related to creating, identifying, and improving the appearance, programming, and use of public spaces. This will result in more and higher-quality spaces throughout the city. The city also should encourage temporary or semi-permanent projects that can creatively increase the use of existing public spaces.

Public art and cultural installations are another aspect of public spaces. Arts and culture are cornerstones of the identity on which Kansas City was built and is an integral part of its infrastructure. The 1925 City Charter gives the Municipal Art Commission authority to approve works of art that are displayed on city property, and since 1992, the One Percent for Art program has commissioned 82 works of public art. Arts and culture should be highlighted in public spaces and serve as a visual reminder of a point of civic and aesthetic pride. Access to arts and culture is important for neighborhoods and to the city’s identity. Kansas City culture should be celebrated and preserved through public art and sustained regular investments.


INDICATORS OF SUCCESS

Successful implementation of this Objective will result in public spaces that are functional and beautiful, with events and activities for the public. Kansas City residents will have better physical and mental health through public spaces where they can gather, play, and exercise. These public spaces and streets will be clean and well-maintained and will safely accommodate all modes of transportation.



BENEFITS

  • Beautification of the city
  • Increased opportunities for public art
  • Increased opportunities for social interaction, community gatherings, and economic activity
  • Opportunities to express the unique character of a community through the built environment
  • Opportunities for landscaping and green infrastructure
  • Opportunities to improve the shared use of streets
  • Increased accessibility for people of all abilities in public spaces
  • Simplified process for improving public spaces


CONTEXT

Kansas City’s public spaces help knit the city together and provide a sense of public pride and ownership. Successful public spaces are human-scaled and designed to encourage regular activity and interaction. Equitable investment in public spaces and inclusive design and programming of public spaces can help promote Kansas City’s distinct neighborhoods and rich cultural heritage.

For more context, click HERE.


MEASURES OF SUCCESS

  • 1% for Art Locations (increase)


KEY CONCEPTS

Plan for public spaces

Because they are cornerstones of the built environment, public spaces must be considered in every stage of the planning and development process. By planning for these spaces from the start, the city can ensure that plazas, streetscapes, parks, and other public spaces are inviting, usable and accessible, and enhance the surrounding community. The city must also plan for ongoing maintenance, for new public spaces and for existing ones that are improved.

Develop design standards and simplify processes for improving public spaces

Creating standards for public spaces will ensure consistency and quality across all public spaces. These standards will propose design considerations and amenities for public spaces and explain how to create cohesive design that enhances the character of the area. With standardized design principles, custom streetscape studies will no longer be needed. Standards also will improve the quality of maintenance services. The city should also simplify the process for making changes in public spaces so improvements can be made quickly, and communities are empowered to shape their spaces to their needs.

Promote and expand public art

Public art brings beauty and identity to public spaces. Beautiful public spaces often see more use, less vandalism, and more public engagement. Some communities in Kansas City lack public art. If the city makes new art installations a priority in areas that lack art, it can increase the quality and use of public spaces where it’s most needed.

Specifically, the city should increase investing in the 1% for Public Art program to invest and expand the scope and diversity of public art offerings as the city continues to grow and evolve. This investment should include performing arts, collaborations and programming with Parks and Recreation, city-funded grant programs for artists of varying disciplines and skill levels, community art festivals, and cultural diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility to arts and entertainment for all Kansas Citians. The city should also work to identify and support a network of successful, sustainable, multidisciplinary cultural centers, museums, performance spaces, and cultural institutions that reflect the diversity, heritage, and contemporary creative expression of Kansas City. By expanding and diversifying public art offerings to include multiple art disciplines and skill levels, city funded grant programs can provide cultural equity and access to high quality arts experience for all.


COMMUNITY SUPPORTED ACTIONS (CSAs)




Plan for public spaces
PS-1
Incorporate public space analyses and strategies into all future plans (area, corridor, and neighborhood plans). Ensure that projects are identified over a range of scales, including multi-year projects as well as small scale, tactical urbanism projects that can create immediate impacts and catalyze other improvements in underserved areas.
  • Inventory of current public spaces (location, condition, amenities)
  • Analysis of proximity (walking, biking, and transit connections especially)
  • Identify priority areas for public spaces and streetscape improvements
  • Reference these plans during new development and capital improvement design and incorporate public space improvements where feasible
  • Identify projects along a spectrum of scales. This includes large and multi-year projects, as well as small scale projects and tactical urbanism strategies which can be quickly implemented to catalyze other public space benefits around them
PS-2
Require that developments include public space improvements in their development plan. In streetscape plans, the developer should build improvements in accordance with the plan.
PS-3
Create a process to coordinate work being done in public spaces by various entities (utilities, city departments, other government agencies, etc.) to ensure consistency with the city’s design standards.
PS-4
Continually update and make available public space data that can be used openly by citizens, organizations, and public organizations.
  • Map of all public/semi-public gathering places, locations where streetscape enhancements have been done, where streetscape plans have been prepared, and public art installations, parks, and fountains.
PS-5
Identify community organizations that have dedicated funding and engage with them to help maintain public spaces and streetscapes and produce events and activities for the public. Require that plans for new streetscape improvements have agreements with these community organizations for help with future maintenance.
PS-6
Prioritize public improvements in transit corridors and areas that have experienced economic distress and disinvestment. These improvements could include streetscape enhancements, walkability improvements, public events and activities, amenities, public art, and improved maintenance and safety.


Develop design standards and simplify processes for improving public spaces
PS-7
Develop minimum standards and policies for planning, designing, developing, managing, maintaining and protecting public space.
  • Design for a variety of uses, ages, and abilities. This may not be possible in each individual public space but work to ensure that all communities have equal access to spaces that cater to their needs
  • Encourage people scale business frontages that connect both visually and physically with public space. Allow businesses to engage with sidewalks by putting seating along the edge
  • Create spaces with layered and multiple uses. This may include programming events into weekly or seasonal schedules and designing space and infrastructure to support them
  • Design public spaces for environmental comfort. Integrate shade trees and rain structures and locations for sun and air flow
  • Other public space improvements may include plazas, play spaces, public art, gateways, green infrastructure, and pedestrian amenities and furnishings
PS-8
Develop a streetscape design handbook for all street types and a ‘kit of parts’ with standard guidelines based on street scale and use. This guidance would help simplify the process for developers, business districts, neighborhoods, and others to implement streetscape improvements without the need for a custom streetscape study. The handbook should also address maintenance needs and responsible entities.
PS-9
Require green infrastructure in all public space and streetscape improvements. Green infrastructure helps our community manage stormwater the way nature intended by capturing and utilizing rainwater where it falls. It decreases the amount of water getting into our pipes, improves water quality, and reduces flooding, pollution, and trash in our creeks, streams, and rivers.
PS-10
Expand and support opportunities for tactical urbanism projects that demonstrate the benefits of creative uses of streets and public spaces. Review standards and permitting processes to encourage creative uses – both permanent and temporary – of public streets. These could be parklets, outdoor dining, protected bike/scooter parking, green infrastructure, and vegetation. Identify and engage partners and seek funding.


Promote and expand public art
PS-11
Expand investment in art and design in the public realm. The city must identify and establish a dedicated funding source for public art restoration and maintenance to fully support and realize the goals of the “One Percent for Art” program.
PS-12
Prioritize public art installations in areas of distress and disinvestment and other areas historically excluded from public art efforts.
PS-13
Encourage and explore requirements for the incorporation of publicly visible art works in new private development. Establish development guidelines that address the construction and maintenance of public art.
PS-14

Strengthen public art programming to monitor and care for current works, to develop and implement new works, and develop a diverse, equitable and public art collection that is reflective of the city’s community.

PS-15
Create and implement annual citywide arts and culture asset inventory.
PS-16
Encourage temporary cultural use in vacant commercial spaces.
PS-17
Invest in underserved communities by commissioning artists to transform neglected spaces.
PS-18
Include and center art in all public space developments, including transit hubs.


RELATED LINKS

  • Affordable Community
  • Cultural Amenities
  • Desirable Place
  • Healthy Environmental Systems
  • History and Heritage
  • KC Uniqueness
  • Livable Neighborhoods and Diverse Housing
  • Mobility Options 
  • Physical Beauty
  • Walkable, Clean, and Safe
  • Addressing Disinvestment
  • Citywide Accessibility
  • Community Collaboration
  • Community Engagement
  • Complete Communities
  • Inclusive Design
  • Providing Services
  • Welcoming Spaces



Public spaces foster a strong, community-focused society by providing venues for social interaction, economic activity, and physical health. Enhancements to public spaces beautify the city and promote the individual character of neighborhoods, corridors, and districts. Public Spaces are areas everyone can access. They are streets, sidewalks, plazas, public gathering places, public facilities, and open green spaces. They can be publicly or privately owned.

When pedestrians and bicyclists use public space, it encourages everyone to use non-motorized modes of transportation, and the environment benefits, through lower greenhouse gas emissions. Public spaces are also opportunities for the city to increase landscaping and green infrastructure to help manage stormwater runoff, improve air and water quality, and reduce the urban heat-island effect.

Public spaces help define neighborhoods and are integral in city place-making. The design of public spaces is shaped by the people who use them. Well-designed public spaces, with activities and events for the public, can shape the identity of a community, create public gathering places, and allow people to more fully enjoy the city. Because public spaces are so integral to communities, they must be planned for at the start of new capital improvement and development projects rather than retrofit into projects after they are built.

The city must standardize and simplify processes related to creating, identifying, and improving the appearance, programming, and use of public spaces. This will result in more and higher-quality spaces throughout the city. The city also should encourage temporary or semi-permanent projects that can creatively increase the use of existing public spaces.

Public art and cultural installations are another aspect of public spaces. Arts and culture are cornerstones of the identity on which Kansas City was built and is an integral part of its infrastructure. The 1925 City Charter gives the Municipal Art Commission authority to approve works of art that are displayed on city property, and since 1992, the One Percent for Art program has commissioned 82 works of public art. Arts and culture should be highlighted in public spaces and serve as a visual reminder of a point of civic and aesthetic pride. Access to arts and culture is important for neighborhoods and to the city’s identity. Kansas City culture should be celebrated and preserved through public art and sustained regular investments.


INDICATORS OF SUCCESS

Successful implementation of this Objective will result in public spaces that are functional and beautiful, with events and activities for the public. Kansas City residents will have better physical and mental health through public spaces where they can gather, play, and exercise. These public spaces and streets will be clean and well-maintained and will safely accommodate all modes of transportation.



BENEFITS

  • Beautification of the city
  • Increased opportunities for public art
  • Increased opportunities for social interaction, community gatherings, and economic activity
  • Opportunities to express the unique character of a community through the built environment
  • Opportunities for landscaping and green infrastructure
  • Opportunities to improve the shared use of streets
  • Increased accessibility for people of all abilities in public spaces
  • Simplified process for improving public spaces


CONTEXT

Kansas City’s public spaces help knit the city together and provide a sense of public pride and ownership. Successful public spaces are human-scaled and designed to encourage regular activity and interaction. Equitable investment in public spaces and inclusive design and programming of public spaces can help promote Kansas City’s distinct neighborhoods and rich cultural heritage.

For more context, click HERE.


MEASURES OF SUCCESS

  • 1% for Art Locations (increase)


KEY CONCEPTS

Plan for public spaces

Because they are cornerstones of the built environment, public spaces must be considered in every stage of the planning and development process. By planning for these spaces from the start, the city can ensure that plazas, streetscapes, parks, and other public spaces are inviting, usable and accessible, and enhance the surrounding community. The city must also plan for ongoing maintenance, for new public spaces and for existing ones that are improved.

Develop design standards and simplify processes for improving public spaces

Creating standards for public spaces will ensure consistency and quality across all public spaces. These standards will propose design considerations and amenities for public spaces and explain how to create cohesive design that enhances the character of the area. With standardized design principles, custom streetscape studies will no longer be needed. Standards also will improve the quality of maintenance services. The city should also simplify the process for making changes in public spaces so improvements can be made quickly, and communities are empowered to shape their spaces to their needs.

Promote and expand public art

Public art brings beauty and identity to public spaces. Beautiful public spaces often see more use, less vandalism, and more public engagement. Some communities in Kansas City lack public art. If the city makes new art installations a priority in areas that lack art, it can increase the quality and use of public spaces where it’s most needed.

Specifically, the city should increase investing in the 1% for Public Art program to invest and expand the scope and diversity of public art offerings as the city continues to grow and evolve. This investment should include performing arts, collaborations and programming with Parks and Recreation, city-funded grant programs for artists of varying disciplines and skill levels, community art festivals, and cultural diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility to arts and entertainment for all Kansas Citians. The city should also work to identify and support a network of successful, sustainable, multidisciplinary cultural centers, museums, performance spaces, and cultural institutions that reflect the diversity, heritage, and contemporary creative expression of Kansas City. By expanding and diversifying public art offerings to include multiple art disciplines and skill levels, city funded grant programs can provide cultural equity and access to high quality arts experience for all.


COMMUNITY SUPPORTED ACTIONS (CSAs)




Plan for public spaces
PS-1
Incorporate public space analyses and strategies into all future plans (area, corridor, and neighborhood plans). Ensure that projects are identified over a range of scales, including multi-year projects as well as small scale, tactical urbanism projects that can create immediate impacts and catalyze other improvements in underserved areas.
  • Inventory of current public spaces (location, condition, amenities)
  • Analysis of proximity (walking, biking, and transit connections especially)
  • Identify priority areas for public spaces and streetscape improvements
  • Reference these plans during new development and capital improvement design and incorporate public space improvements where feasible
  • Identify projects along a spectrum of scales. This includes large and multi-year projects, as well as small scale projects and tactical urbanism strategies which can be quickly implemented to catalyze other public space benefits around them
PS-2
Require that developments include public space improvements in their development plan. In streetscape plans, the developer should build improvements in accordance with the plan.
PS-3
Create a process to coordinate work being done in public spaces by various entities (utilities, city departments, other government agencies, etc.) to ensure consistency with the city’s design standards.
PS-4
Continually update and make available public space data that can be used openly by citizens, organizations, and public organizations.
  • Map of all public/semi-public gathering places, locations where streetscape enhancements have been done, where streetscape plans have been prepared, and public art installations, parks, and fountains.
PS-5
Identify community organizations that have dedicated funding and engage with them to help maintain public spaces and streetscapes and produce events and activities for the public. Require that plans for new streetscape improvements have agreements with these community organizations for help with future maintenance.
PS-6
Prioritize public improvements in transit corridors and areas that have experienced economic distress and disinvestment. These improvements could include streetscape enhancements, walkability improvements, public events and activities, amenities, public art, and improved maintenance and safety.


Develop design standards and simplify processes for improving public spaces
PS-7
Develop minimum standards and policies for planning, designing, developing, managing, maintaining and protecting public space.
  • Design for a variety of uses, ages, and abilities. This may not be possible in each individual public space but work to ensure that all communities have equal access to spaces that cater to their needs
  • Encourage people scale business frontages that connect both visually and physically with public space. Allow businesses to engage with sidewalks by putting seating along the edge
  • Create spaces with layered and multiple uses. This may include programming events into weekly or seasonal schedules and designing space and infrastructure to support them
  • Design public spaces for environmental comfort. Integrate shade trees and rain structures and locations for sun and air flow
  • Other public space improvements may include plazas, play spaces, public art, gateways, green infrastructure, and pedestrian amenities and furnishings
PS-8
Develop a streetscape design handbook for all street types and a ‘kit of parts’ with standard guidelines based on street scale and use. This guidance would help simplify the process for developers, business districts, neighborhoods, and others to implement streetscape improvements without the need for a custom streetscape study. The handbook should also address maintenance needs and responsible entities.
PS-9
Require green infrastructure in all public space and streetscape improvements. Green infrastructure helps our community manage stormwater the way nature intended by capturing and utilizing rainwater where it falls. It decreases the amount of water getting into our pipes, improves water quality, and reduces flooding, pollution, and trash in our creeks, streams, and rivers.
PS-10
Expand and support opportunities for tactical urbanism projects that demonstrate the benefits of creative uses of streets and public spaces. Review standards and permitting processes to encourage creative uses – both permanent and temporary – of public streets. These could be parklets, outdoor dining, protected bike/scooter parking, green infrastructure, and vegetation. Identify and engage partners and seek funding.


Promote and expand public art
PS-11
Expand investment in art and design in the public realm. The city must identify and establish a dedicated funding source for public art restoration and maintenance to fully support and realize the goals of the “One Percent for Art” program.
PS-12
Prioritize public art installations in areas of distress and disinvestment and other areas historically excluded from public art efforts.
PS-13
Encourage and explore requirements for the incorporation of publicly visible art works in new private development. Establish development guidelines that address the construction and maintenance of public art.
PS-14

Strengthen public art programming to monitor and care for current works, to develop and implement new works, and develop a diverse, equitable and public art collection that is reflective of the city’s community.

PS-15
Create and implement annual citywide arts and culture asset inventory.
PS-16
Encourage temporary cultural use in vacant commercial spaces.
PS-17
Invest in underserved communities by commissioning artists to transform neglected spaces.
PS-18
Include and center art in all public space developments, including transit hubs.


RELATED LINKS

  • Affordable Community
  • Cultural Amenities
  • Desirable Place
  • Healthy Environmental Systems
  • History and Heritage
  • KC Uniqueness
  • Livable Neighborhoods and Diverse Housing
  • Mobility Options 
  • Physical Beauty
  • Walkable, Clean, and Safe
  • Addressing Disinvestment
  • Citywide Accessibility
  • Community Collaboration
  • Community Engagement
  • Complete Communities
  • Inclusive Design
  • Providing Services
  • Welcoming Spaces



Page last updated: 11 Jan 2024, 01:55 PM