A city’s safety and comfort for people who walk and bike is largely determined by the design of its neighborhoods and built environment. Next week there is a great opportunity for individuals and community advocates to speak up and start influencing a new master plan that will shape how our city will develop and grow for decades to come.
As part of our 2020 Advocacy Agenda, BikeWalkKC identified a number of priorities we’ll be working on to make it easier for people to walk, bike, and roll around the metro. One of those ongoing issues is the update to the KCMO Comprehensive plan, also known as the KC Spirit Playbook.
KCMO will be hosting a virtual Town Hall on Tuesday, June 16 at 5:30 p.m. to share information and get feedback. Here’s what you need to know ahead of time:
What is the comprehensive plan? As the KCMO Planning Department explains, this plan “sets priorities and guides land development decisions to ensure Kansas City, Missouri is a thriving, people-centered community and a successful model for other Americans to follow for future generations.”
Why is it being updated now? The current version of the Comprehensive Plan, FOCUS, was adopted in 1997. A great deal has changed in KCMO since then, and we need this plan to reflect those changes.
Why is this a priority for BikeWalkKC? Among other topics, the comprehensive plan is a document that tells the city how to build its transportation system. Further, how it does so impacts equity, housing, sustainability, and a host of other important issues. Making multimodal transportation a priority now helps to ensure it is a priority later.
What can I do to get involved? There will be plenty of opportunities to weigh in over the coming months, but here is what you can do right now:
- Go to the KC Spirit Playbook website and set up an account;
- Answer the Big 5 Questions or add questions you want answered on the Q&A page;
- Check out the data book to learn more about how KCMO has grown and changed;
- Use the mapping tool to identify what you like, what you want to improve, and elements from other places you want to see implemented here; and
- Register for updates from KCMO.
We hope you’ll join us in the conversation with KCMO at the virtual town hall next Tuesday. Click here to learn more and to sign up for the event.
The KC Spirit Playbook is an important document for the city, and your input is needed to prioritize improve how we walk, bike, and roll on the city’s streets.
If you are able, we hope you will consider becoming a member of BikeWalkKC this Bike Month. Memberships start at $10 and provide critical resources for us to continue our work in these uncertain times. Our members are a growing collection of voices speaking up and affirming that our streets are places for people! Click here to join.