The East Village neighborhood in downtown Kansas City, Missouri was the study site for the Urban Land Institute’s (ULI) 19th annual ULI Urban Design Competition. BREATHE, a City Design studio project focused on a comprehensive design and development program for an actual large-scale urban site in in downtown Kansas City, Missouri.
Kansas City, like many major United States cities, bears the scars of societal divisions such as redlining, prevalent suburban development, and highways choking the downtown. BREATHE’s first bold move is the removal of the ring of highways encircling downtown and cutting it off from the neighborhoods to the north, east and south. BREATHE’s master plan is a catalyst for unification among three neighborhoods once divided by highways, breaking down long standing social and economic divisions.
BREATHE promotes sustainable living through the implementation of a closed loop ecosystem involving ground water heat pumps, photovoltaic power, and neighborhood-wide recycling and composting. It serves as an inspiration for the next generation as they grow up in BREATHE enveloped by innovation. Intensive rainfall expected to increase in the future is managed by a comprehensive water management system that doubles as a biodiversity resource. Living roofs cover many of the buildings, reclaiming space for pollinators as well as decreasing the Urban Heat Island effect. These technologies are demonstrated in the multipurpose Royals Stadium to the immediate northeast of the site, which is built on land reclaimed from a former freeway interchange, produces energy and acts as a key asset unifying previously separated communities.
BREATHE offers a variety of affordable and market-rate housing,fostering an 8 to 80 community and creating a Blue Zone. The hike and bike corridor winding through the district connects multiple green spaces across the city. A robust electric streetcar/shuttle system stitches the stadium to the Power and Light District, providing multimodal transit across the city and beyond. These varied options allow for democratic movement, actuation of a 15 minute city, and become a driver of sustainable tourism. Informed by Covid-19, building spaces are designed for adaptability and multiple uses, including co-working spaces and additional store frontage areas for outdoor retail utilization. Moreover, BREATHE’s comprehensive greenway system furthers connections that create breathing space in the existing urban fabric. Integration of an ever changing mix of commercial, residential, institutional, and natural spaces support the new community, an international example of innovation, resilience, sustainability social reparation.