The Politics of Urban Design: The Center City Urban Renewal Project in Kansas City,Kansas

Abstract

In contrast to other urban renewal projects that erased the presence of minority and working-class residents, the design of the Center City Plaza in downtown Kansas City, Kansas, was an attempt to provide a democratic space for a diverse citizenry. Initiated by local officials, the project was intended to alter the “image” of the downtown. Environmental planner Elpidio Rocha was hired to design a pedestrian mall that included abstract sculptural forms. In the context of deindustrialization and suburbanization, however, urban renewal did not halt downtown decline and local political interests dismantled the pedestrian mall, setting the stage for a new round of redevelopment.