Strategy 13: Protect and restore natural amenities

Editor’s note: This is the final entry of Imagine KC’s 13-part blog series on strategies for regional sustainability. Learn more about Imagine KC at www.onekcvoice.org/imaginekc.

Guest writer: Larry Rizzo, Missouri Department of Conservation

I was born and raised in Kansas City. When I returned to the city after having spent most of the ’90s in another part of the state, encouraging things were happening: the River Market was thriving, bringing people back to the place near where our city was born; the 18th and Vine District, birthplace of the brand of jazz that gave the city its personality, was being revitalized; and stately Union Station, the nation’s second largest train station and centerpiece of the city’s core, was finally being renovated and reopened.

In an era when the places we eat, shop and live are increasingly homogenous, it made me glad that people cared about these things that made our town different, special. Places like Union Station are part of our historic and cultural heritage. They represent what it means to be from Kansas City. Without them, we are like anywhere else. Imagine a city composed of nothing but strip malls, chain restaurants and rows of modern houses of the same design. How would the residents of that city have any identity or sense of place?

But our biological heritage extends much farther back in time. Like those historic buildings that are part of our identity, we also have historic landscapes that define what this land once looked like and influenced those who chose to call this place home. Today these landscapes, or natural communities, are all but lost.

Sometimes they are lost almost instantaneously, like when a wrecking ball slams into an old structure. An ancient prairie, its intricately melded fabric of plants, animals and soil microbes built over tens of thousands of years of evolution, can be erased in hours by a plow. An oak forest that stood during the Revolutionary War can be bulldozed overnight.

But many times the loss is much more gradual and insidious. Remove fire from the landscape, introduce exotic species of plants and animals, alter watersheds, and the results occur so incrementally that few people notice. Over time, however, such effects can alter native natural communities almost as completely as the bulldozer.

What remains and thrives in disturbed environments are species that are generalists, ones that can survive anywhere; often these are exotic species. What are lost are landscapes and natural communities with a diversity of native species and their complex interactions. What is lost is our biological sense of place, our knowledge and appreciation of what our landscape once was. It is the biological equivalent of replacing our union stations with modern strip malls and condominiums.

Green is better than gray. That is, from the perspective of ecosystem functions or services, any land cover in the metro area that is not covered by a building, roadway or other impervious surface is better than one that is. But the truth is that some green space is not very “green.” Land covered in invasive species may provide a place for storm water infiltration, but will not provide home or refuge for native plants and animals, nor does it do much to lift our souls from an aesthetic standpoint.

We live in what once was an area of tremendous diversity, where dense shaded forests transitioned to sparsely timbered oak savanna or woodland and then to open prairies. These natural communities contained a rich interwoven fabric of native plants and animals. It is critical that we identify, protect and restore places that represent the greenest of the green — places where this fabric is most intact. Areas where small pieces can be woven together into larger ones, and where multiple pieces can be connected by natural corridors, can also serve to provide high-quality recreational opportunities for urban-dwellers. Doing so will not only protect native plants and animals today, it will protect our region’s identity and biological heritage for future generations.

Strategy 12: Improve air quality and reduce greenhouse gas emissions

Editor’s note: This is post number 12 of Imagine KC’s 13-part blog series on strategies for regional sustainability. Learn more about Imagine KC at www.onekcvoice.org/imaginekc.

Guest writer: Dennis Murphey, Kansas City, Mo., Office of Environmental Quality

Improving air quality, particularly reducing ground-level ozone and greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, is a critical element in making Greater Kansas City a green region and a nationally recognized leader in sustainability. Both goals can be achieved by taking actions that reduce fossil fuel emissions from coal-fired power plants and transportation sources.

The most immediate and cost-effective approach to reducing emissions from coal-fired power plants is to aggressively pursue energy-efficiency and energy-conservation measures. At the local level, the city of Kansas City, Mo., is pursuing energy efficiency as a cornerstone in implementing its climate protection plan adopted by the mayor and City Council in July 2008. Activities have been underway for several years to reduce the city’s energy use in buildings, and by streetlights, traffic signals, and pumping/treating water and wastewater. The city is also promoting greater energy efficiency community-wide by enhancing its energy code requirements for new construction and renovations.

At the state level, legislation is currently under consideration by the Missouri General Assembly that would create incentives for utility companies in Missouri to help their customers/rate-payers use less energy (and save money) instead of continuing to reward utilities and their shareholders for building more power plants and selling more electricity.

At the federal level, recently enacted stimulus funding legislation provides $11.3 billion nationally for local and state government investments in energy efficiency, energy conservation and renewable energy projects. This includes $5 billion for home weatherization projects to assist low-income households in reducing their energy use and utility bills; $3.1 billion for energy assistance and conservation programs; and $3.2 billion in the Energy Efficiency and Conservation Block Grant program to provide funding for local governments to develop and implement energy-efficiency and energy-conservation strategies.

Our region is recognized as a national leader in the use of alternative fuels in city fleets. Among the 50 largest cities in the U.S., Kansas City ranked number three based on the percentage of its vehicles that operate on alternative fuels. The city’s fleet conversion has been implemented to improve regional air quality and has the secondary benefit of reducing the city’s GHG emissions. We are eager to include plug-in hybrid electric vehicles in the city’s fleet as they become commercially available.

For many years, the Mid-America Regional Council (MARC) has led regional efforts by the public and private sectors to improve air quality. In the past two years, MARC has provided leadership to promote sustainability and climate protection as a metro-area priority, including efforts to make Greater Kansas City “America’s Green Region.”

Notwithstanding the scope of measures implemented by Kansas City, other local governments, MARC and public- and private-sector organizations in the metro area to improve air quality and reduce GHG emissions, our success depends on broad participation by everyone in the region: businesses, schools, community groups, neighborhood associations, nonprofit organizations, faith-based groups, philanthropic organizations, state and federal agencies, and individuals. Public awareness regarding the importance of these efforts has created significant momentum, resulting in individuals across the region taking action at home and in their workplaces to improve air quality and reduce GHG emissions. The actions we’re all taking to achieve these goals will provide long-term benefits that simultaneously improve economic vitality, social equity and environmental quality for those who live, work and play in the Kansas City metro area.

Strategy 11: Generate less waste and recycle, reuse

Editor’s note: This is post number 11 of Imagine KC’s 13-part blog series on strategies for regional sustainability. Learn more about Imagine KC at www.onekcvoice.org/imaginekc.

Guest writer: Phelps Murdock, Bridging the Gap

Imagine a sustainable region where we don’t need landfills. Think about a disposable plastic water bottle you buy at the store: It’s filled with water that’s no better than what comes from your tap, and the bottle itself takes three times more water to manufacture than it contains. That bottle is shipped an average of 1,200 miles in a truck that spews pollutants into the air we breathe. It’s made from oil that costs you about 10 times the value of the water inside. In one year, the average bottled water consumer spends $100 or more for the convenience of not having to remember to fill up and carry a $5 reusable container when they leave home.

Imagine 1,000 of these water bottles filling and spilling out of the average car. Then imagine about 50 million of these cars lined up end-to-end; the line would stretch around the world nearly five times. That’s the quantity of plastic water bottles stuffed into U.S. landfills every year.

These are our landfills. We buy them, fill them and pay for them over and over. We fill them with water bottles and other bottles — most of them recyclable or reusable. We fill them with the stuff we thought was important until we didn’t think so anymore. And although we know that aluminum is easily recyclable, we toss enough aluminum into these landfills every year to rebuild the entire U.S. commercial airline fleet.

Imagine reducing this colossal waste of materials and tax dollars that are needed elsewhere.

We could become a sustainable region that doesn’t need landfills. If we could reduce our waste by just 5 percent each year, we would be close to zero waste by 2030. “We” should include government and business, but “we” really means “you and me.” If most of the nearly 2 million citizens in our region began to reduce unnecessary packaging, including bottled water or convenience foods, and recycled or reused everything possible, we could imagine a time when we won’t need landfills.

We can reduce the trash we create through wastefulness. We can recycle useful materials to be used again. We can divert solid waste expenses for the greater good.

Imagine KC as a sustainable region where we waste not, want not — because we learned how to use all of our resources efficiently.

Strategy 10: Develop programs that protect water quality

Editor’s note: This is post number 10 of Imagine KC’s 13-part blog series on strategies for regional sustainability. Learn more about Imagine KC at www.onekcvoice.org/imaginekc.

Guest writer: Jennifer Blattman, Mid-America Regional Council Water Quality Program

Watersheds cross city, county and state lines. When different communities share a watershed, the residents of all the cities and counties in that watershed need to address issues such as flooding and water quality together. All of our actions impact our upstream and downstream neighbors.

In the Kansas City region, all runoff eventually drains into the Missouri River, the world’s 15th longest river. The Missouri River watershed drains one-sixth of the water in the United States, from the mountains of western Montana to its confluence with the Mississippi River in St. Louis, Mo. The Kansas River watershed is nested within that of the larger Missouri River, and drains about one-third of the state of Kansas.

Thinking about watersheds helps remind us that our actions can impact — for better or for worse — all of the streams and rivers in our region. There are actions that we can all take to improve regional water quality, such not littering and washing our cars at professional car washes, which use water more efficiently and filter wastewater. Home owners can use lawn chemicals wisely and manage water on their property more efficiently by redirecting downspouts or installing rain gardens or rain barrels. Pet owners can dispose of their pet’s waste properly.

These simple, individual actions can protect regional water quality and help keep our communities healthy. But local governments and businesses must also use these practices as part of a broader sustainable water management strategy — and many already are.

Clean water is essential to healthy life and the well-being of our region. By thinking how our everyday actions have far-reaching effects, we can all play a role in ensuring a more sustainable future.

Strategy 9: Promote energy conservation, renewable resources

Editor’s note: This is post number nine of Imagine KC’s 13-part blog series on strategies for regional sustainability. Learn more about Imagine KC at www.onekcvoice.org/imaginekc.

Guest writer: Kim Winslow, Kansas City Power & Light

When KCP&L encourages customers to use less electricity, many think the practice seems counterintuitive. Although it may not make sense to the average person, it makes sense for a utility that is planning for the future with its customers and the environment in mind.

We are motivated to encourage energy efficiency because it is a more cost-effective way to meet our customers’ power needs than building a new power plant. It is better for the environment and our customers.

Energy efficiency and the use of renewable energy sources can be an important solution as our nation finds itself at the crossroads of volatile fuel costs, the need for greater energy independence, and increasing environmental constraints. Our challenge is defining a shared commitment to improving the life of our company, customers and the communities that we serve. Energy efficiency can address this challenge by establishing a “first” fuel resource that can help put off investments in new generating capacity as part of long-term resource planning. It allows for a more effective use of our nation’s scarce natural resources and provides customers with solutions to control their energy use, which can help manage monthly budgets.

We have developed energy-efficiency products and services to meet the needs of our customers. Since the launch of these programs in late 2005, we have recognized reduced demand of 114 MW, with customer energy savings of approximately 50,000 MWh — the equivalent of taking more than 6,300 cars off U.S. roads each year.

We are also engaged with various initiatives that promote and demonstrate leadership in energy efficiency on a local, regional and national level. Utilities are uniquely positioned to advance energy efficiency, but there are challenges that must be overcome. The most important challenge is educating customers about the benefits energy efficiency provides. To address this, we offer customers online tools that help them evaluate their energy use and provide recommendations that increase energy efficiency. We also encourage our commercial and industrial customers to reduce their energy needs by offering a rebate to upgrade to more efficient equipment.

Investment in energy efficiency and renewable resources should be viewed over a long horizon to ensure we achieve the right economical and environmental balance. In 2008, Missouri voters recognized the need for renewable power and passed Proposition C, which supports the installation of renewable systems. We supported this legislation and believe in the marriage between renewable energy resources and energy efficiency. In fact, we are already using enough wind power to meet the standards that this legislation mandates utilities reach by 2011.

Our nation’s commitment to energy independence is finally on everyone’s mind. We are continuing our commitment to promoting energy efficiency and the use of renewable resources. We hope you will, too.

Strategy 8: Maximize existing highway capacity

Editor’s note: This is post number eight of Imagine KC’s 13-part blog series on strategies for regional sustainability. Learn more about Imagine KC at www.onekcvoice.org/imaginekc.

Guest writer: Allan Zafft, Missouri Department of Transportation

The Missouri Department of Transportation (MoDOT) understands that a well-connected region provides residents with choices for how they get to work, shop and access recreation and other regional amenities. Kansas City has extended its reach to become the third largest city in the nation in land area. And the ribbons of pavement that connect the area’s far-flung destinations are being stretched toward their capacity — or are already beyond it. With limited transportation funding available and, in some cases, inadequate room to widen highways, maximizing the use of the region’s existing highway system is a strategy that helps our region meet the increasing demand for travel and keep our region connected without adding concrete.

Drivers expect to get to their destinations safely, on time and without delays. Traffic, changes in weather, work zones and highway incidents can all impact travel. MoDOT uses a quarterly document called the Tracker to communicate our 18 “tangible results,” which are outcomes that our customers expect to see.

One of our tangible results is uninterrupted traffic flow, which results in part by maximizing the use of the Kansas City region’s highways. We work to ensure that motorists travel as efficiently as possible on the state system by better managing work zones, snow removal and highway incidents, and by using the latest technology to inform motorists of possible delays and available options.

KC Scout, Kansas City’s bistate traffic management system, uses the latest technology to manage traffic on more than 125 miles of continuous freeways in the greater Kansas City metro area. Scout uses a technology toolbox that includes closed-circuit television cameras, roadway sensors and dynamic message signs. This technology allows Scout to monitor traffic conditions; provide traffic updates to travelers quickly via Scout’s Web site, e-mail, mobile phones and pagers; and launch a comprehensive response plan tailored to each traffic situation, such as sending help to clear traffic incidents, which create congestion.

KC Scout not only enables Kansas City-area drivers to enjoy less highway congestion, but also fewer rush-hour accidents, improved rush-hour speeds, quicker emergency response times, and less air pollution from slow or idling traffic.

Adjusting the timing of the signal system and/or access management on selected signalized state highways during peak traffic times also promotes uninterrupted traffic flow. These improvements reduce congestion, which enhances travel time, maximizes existing highway capacity and improves air quality. For 2007 and 2008, the statewide average rate of travel on selected signalized highways has improved due to increased retiming of signals.

The regional initiative Operation Green Light (OGL) — which includes MoDOT, the Mid-America Regional Council, 20 area cities, Kansas Department of Transportation, and the Federal Highway Administration — synchronizes traffic signals on major routes throughout the Kansas City region, reducing unnecessary delays, improving traffic flow and reducing emissions that contribute to ozone pollution. OGL has reduced delays on coordinated routes by an average of 17 percent during rush-periods. It has also provided an alternative to building new capacity on the existing street system by improving efficiency.

Maximizing the use of the region’s existing state highway capacity ensures the best value of previous and future dollars spent and enables us to meet more of our transportation needs. Greater Kansas City’s existing highway system will not improve unless we work together to develop and implement innovative and cost-effective transportation solutions.

Strategy 7: Maintain existing roads to a high standard

Editor’s note: This is post number seven of Imagine KC’s 13-part blog series on strategies for regional sustainability. Learn more about Imagine KC at www.onekcvoice.org/imaginekc.

Guest writer: Julie Lorenz, Kansas Department of Transportation

Most homeowners know that painting the house is important for protecting their investment. But they’d all prefer to show off the new deck or talk about plans to add a new room on the back. It’s the same, to a degree, for those of us whose agencies manage public infrastructure.

Communities talk with great passion when they come to the Kansas Department of Transportation (KDOT) about projects that will add new lanes to a highway, replace a bridge or construct an interchange. Honestly, those projects inspire us, too. Those are the projects that get the ground-breaking ceremonies, ribbon-cuttings and big news stories.

But although a flyover is more exciting than an overlay, maintaining what we have, especially in these times of fiscal uncertainties, may be the most important work we do as stewards of public dollars. And over the past two years, as we drafted KDOT’s Long Range Transportation Plan and worked with the governor’s task force, T-LINK, to develop recommendations for a new transportation program, we discovered plenty of public support for preservation. In fact, T-LINK’s top priority for the next state transportation program is preservation of Kansas’ road and bridge infrastructure.

Some of the benefits of good preservation policy are fairly obvious. Once you get behind on maintenance, it is very expensive to get caught up. And it’s very hard to get people to commit to that kind of spending.

But research used by T-LINK in developing its recommendations showed there may be an even greater price to pay for failure to maintain highways. For the illustrative scenario, we assumed that funding of pavement and bridge preservation for Kansas would drop from the current level of roughly $385 million per year in 2008 to $154 million per year (in constant 2008 dollars) over the period of 2009–2020. KDOT staff applied models to predict how pavement and bridge conditions would deteriorate, and then our consultant team ran a statewide economic impact analysis to calculate the additional economic impacts.

The results showed there would be a loss of jobs, worker income and gross state product, which would grow larger each year. By 2020, the Kansas economy would experience a loss of more than 12,000 jobs and a loss of more than $670 million a year in gross domestic product. That includes $460 million per year less labor income than would occur if preservation funding were to continue at its current level.

The impact also can be looked at from the viewpoint of highway users. In that case, the value of traveler losses due to additional travel time, vehicle operating expense and safety reduction would be more than triple the savings in highway preservation spending. In other words, there is a 5-to-1 benefit/cost ratio associated with continued preservation funding.

Make no mistake: The level of infrastructure preservation, or lack of it, is a direct reflection of a community or region. If an out-of-towner sees cracked sidewalks, potholes and barricades blocking off water main breaks, he or she leaves with a feeling that this is not a great community.

Maintaining infrastructure helps leaders leverage growth and encourage companies to locate in their community. It reflects a community’s vitality — and that’s as important today as it’s ever been.

Strategy 6: Develop a regional system of trails

Editor’s note: This is post number six of Imagine KC’s 13-part blog series on strategies for regional sustainability. Learn more about Imagine KC at www.onekcvoice.org/imaginekc.

Guest writer: Stephen Rhoades, Patti Banks Associates

Several years ago, after graduating college, I moved to the Denver area and settled in nice suburb just outside of the city. It was great: new town, new job, new friends, a downtown coming back to life, and lots of new things to discover. I dusted off my bike, which had been tucked away in the corner of my apartment throughout college, and went exploring.

I quickly noticed a system of bike trails that I could take almost anywhere from my apartment: downtown, major parks, shopping areas, coffee shops and more. Each week was spent planning my next big journey around town on the trails. I could easily ride from my suburban location to the city to find new things and make new friends. I thought to myself, “I’m sure glad I moved away from Kansas City. It didn’t have anything like this.” As time passed, I began to think, “If I ever move back home, I’m going to do whatever I can to build a system of interconnected bike trails just like the one in Denver.”

As it turns out, I did get the chance to move back home, and found that system of bike trails contained in a plan created back in 1991 called MetroGreen. MetroGreen lays out a vision to link historic and cultural points of interest around our region with a series of greenway corridors, which would contain bike trails. In addition to that, it has many other benefits, such as helping mange stormwater runoff, protecting valuable natural resources, and providing vital wildlife corridors throughout the region. The system would also give us the opportunity to be outside, exercise more and become healthier.

Many people may not know, but our region has unique qualities that set us apart from other metropolitan areas. The Oregon, California and Santa Fe Trails originated here, and Lewis and Clark passed through here. We are the only region with four National Historic Trails. Independence uses the tagline “where the trails began;” Gardner uses “where the trails divide.”

So what has been done with our plan? It was updated in 2002, and now each community is beginning to plan and construct their parts of the system. We are beginning to connect people back to community assets such as rivers, streams, parks, shopping areas, neighborhoods and downtown. Other regions such as Omaha, the Quad Cities, Little Rock and St. Louis have a head start on us, and some even have a dedicated regional funding stream to plan, design, construct and maintain their systems.

The facts are clear: developing and building a regional system of bike trails is important for our region. It is as important as many things we have already built: roadways, cultural centers, stadium upgrades and new commercial and residential developments. Many cities have done citizen surveys that show developing a system of bike trails ranks high. As cities prioritize their infrastructure and transportation needs, bike trails should be on the list, and progress should continue.

Our region has a very good transportation system for automobiles. Now let’s focus on one that allows us to get to places by a means other than a car. Building a system of interconnected bike trails should be a priority for our region. After all, it started here many years ago. The benefits outweigh the negatives, and the only thing we have to lose is perhaps a few pounds.

Strategy 5: Develop a robust public transit system

Editor’s note: This is post number five of Imagine KC’s 13-part blog series on strategies for regional sustainability. Please note that that the opinions expressed by our guest writers are their own. One KC Voice is dedicated to providing an open forum for dialogue and deliberation, but does not take a position on the issues being discussed. Learn more about Imagine KC at www.onekcvoice.org/imaginekc.

Guest writer: Kite Singleton, Regional Transit Alliance

For the past 60 years, our reliance on cars, roads and parking has dominated U.S. transportation and land-use policy. Our national highway system totals some 160,000 miles, with probably 2 to 3 million miles of right-of-way groaning under some 300 million vehicles, and it is running out of maintenance money. In the wake of the 2007 Minneapolis bridge collapse, we learned that 150,000 U.S. bridges are classified structurally deficient. Repair of those bridges was estimated at $65 billion. A federal study suggests that the U.S. should spend $225 billion a year for the next 50 years on our road system.

As gas prices rose to $4 per gallon in the summer of 2008, vehicle miles per capita began to wane; motorists became more careful about their transportation choices and public transit ridership increased markedly. It is significant that as gas prices decreased, these numbers did not directly follow suit. A sagging economy and a realization of the wasteful nature of our travel patterns had apparently taken hold. Especially among younger generations, time spent driving has become an issue, and the popularity of close-in, walkable communities where cars and parking are not essential is showing up in rising real estate values in many urban settings.

Do we want to extend the life of a transportation and land-use system that has extended our travel times, spread our suburbs across farms and prairies, and eaten away the fabric of our urban centers? Or is there a broader vision of how we want to live and travel: how we must begin to live and travel in a more competitive, resource-restricted world?

The characteristic of our auto-dominated system is to make all places equally accessible — as long as there’s plenty of parking. This characteristic is at the heart of the demise of town centers across America. In a vain attempt to attract business, downtown buildings were demolished to make room for parking. With this auto-dominated policy, we essentially threw away many of our vibrant old cities.

By contrast, a public transit system focuses on “nodes,” stations where people walk from a transit stop to shop, work, home or a connecting transit route. Multiple-passenger vehicles are more energy-efficient than single-occupant vehicles, there is no need for parking (except for taxis or shared-vehicle stations), small businesses thrive on pedestrian patronage, walking increases health, more eyes on the street produces greater security, and more pedestrian activity leads to an increased sense of community. Cities where pedestrians are prevalent have higher-quality environments because pedestrians see trash and cracked sidewalks and demand action, and so do the shopkeepers who rely on those walkers. This is the kind of community the younger, creative generation is seeking, a phenomenon now clearly demonstrated across the U.S. It is this new vision that we could be seeking in all the walkable town centers throughout a sustainable Kansas City region.

I can hear the rejoinder already: How can we throw away the road system we’ve built? And the answer is another question: How can we afford to maintain it?

As this reality has become a topic of discussion, making long-neglected improvements in railroad passenger service has become of interest. Now there is discussion of clusters of communities connected by high-speed passenger trains. Freight rail has grown exponentially in the face of high trucking costs. Urban public transit systems are being developed in nearly every major city in the nation.

This is no diatribe in the quest of abandoning cars. We need cars and will continue to use cars. What it is, however, is a call to re-envision our transportation and land-use policies so that we can end our near-total reliance on cars and find new, more efficient ways to build our cities and travel within them and between them.

Strategy 4: Create employment centers at strategic locations

Editor’s note: This is post number four of Imagine KC’s 13-part blog series on strategies for regional sustainability. Learn more about Imagine KC at www.onekcvoice.org/imaginekc.

Guest writer: Dean C. Palos, Urban Land Institute-Kansas City Executive Committee; Johnson County, Kan., Planning, Development, and Codes Department

With the increasing demand for energy conservation and sustainability, the Kansas City metropolitan area is poised to benefit greatly from its unique location in the center of the nation. Along with its centrality, the region’s excellent multimodal transportation system, skilled labor force and affordable quality of life are strong inducements for continued economic growth.

Since the 1950s, our area has experienced a continual dispersal of economic development benefiting the whole region. Referred to by geographers as “multiple nuclei,” these nodes of concentrated employment and commerce have developed strategically along major transportation corridors and hubs, capitalizing on proximity, direct access to resources and a cross section of customers.

Varying in size and function, these centers are often interrelated, sharing overlapping service areas or drawing from the same employee and customer bases. Some of the most notable centers besides downtown Kansas City and Crown Center include the Plaza and Sprint Complex. Other major commerce centers include the Fairfax and Argentine districts and the Subtropolis.

In the future, the most successful of these centers will be developed or evolve in response to changing economic and social conditions. They will become not only centers of employment and commerce, but will become more dynamic, offering a mix of activities and services in a sustainable and environmentally sensitive manner. They will be distinctive, compact and vibrant complexes designed to be inviting, creating a sense of place supported by open public spaces for gatherings and recreation.

These new centers will include activities and services for employees as well as customers and neighboring developments. This may include incorporating housing into the center or providing easy access to nearby, well-maintained neighborhoods served by retail and other amenities, such as farmers markets and community gardens — all connected by walking or biking facilities, as well as by transit.

The reduced travel time and cost savings will be important attractions for these centers’ employees and customers. Communities where these centers are located will also benefit through increased tax bases as well as the savings from the economies of scale and efficiencies derived from serving mixed-use, compact developments.

As these new and diverse working/living centers develop, the need for a balanced and multimodal transportation system connecting the region will become even more imperative. There will likely be the need to change some local land use and zoning requirements to enable this type of development.

Combined, all of these changes and improvements will contribute significantly to enhancing the quality of life and economic strength of the Kansas City region.