ideas, ramblings, and coverage of kc urban development

When I first came to Kansas City, sometime back in high school, I remember being blown away that the city actually felt like, well, a city. Much of our trip was comprised of driving up and down Main street to get from our hotel at the Plaza, to downtown where our convention was taking place. A number of things stand out from those drives, though none so much as the Katz Drugstore Building @ Westport road and Main. In

This building laughs in the face of any attempt at urban revitalization. It sits back, behind its fences and concrete walls, mocking anyone seriously considering changing the street. It’s heinous, and probably the ugliest building on Troost. It’s at least the worst building we’ve seen so far. Last weekend, Troost 90 / GUD Troost continued to study and search for urban revitalization possibilities al

I’m a bit disappointed tonight. Kansas City has failed to capture another positive urban revitalization project. Maybe my bitterness has something to do with the sudden end of my holiday vacation – but I think it has more to do with the realization that our city’s priorities are bizarre, at best. The old Kansas City P&L building (which I call the Gotham City Building) was on the verge of being s

In the event that you’re just like me and your  ideal Thanksgiving involves lounging on the couch under a blanket, snacking on delicious food all day…. Here’s a few thoughts on a documentary I stumbled onto a while back. Not only is it wonderfully informative, it’s also beautiful to watch and listen to. Clocking in at just under an hour and a half, Gary Hustwit’s film “Urbanized