As Kansas City creates the streetcar system, it will create more jobs and connect our area just like it has done for other cities.
This relates to Chapter 13 because it talks about urban patterns, which included smartgrowth.
I chose this project because I thought SmartGrowth had a lot of unanswered questions in our textbook, I really wanted to know about the SmartGrowth in KC too.
“The market isn’t all for smart growth, nor is it all for sprawl, The thing for the last 50, 60 years has been that we’ve done nothing but sprawl.” -- Smart Growth America President Geoff Anderson
In New York, they created a rail somewhat like Kansas City's will look like. They created their first rail in 1890. They now have 27 rail cars and they transport 94,000 people a day. (including buses/ vans) they help to save gas, reduce street congestion, and preserve the environment.
-http://metro.nfta.com/About/History.aspx
-http://metro.nfta.com/About/History.aspx
Is there Smartgrowth in kansas city?
The first day of doing this project, I found out that I had missed our city's first SmartGrowth Groundbreaking appearance by 4 hours, but nonetheless, I discovered about our cities new streetcar system. The picture on the left is what they think it will look like. This new project excites me because our city has a lot of old buildings and I feel like this will look retro-y. Plus, living downtown, I have had the pleasure to see very many lost people turn the wrong way onto a one-way street, and this seems like it will help with that a BUNCH. According to kcstreetcar.org this will be creating hundreds of jobs, which is also greatly needed in downtown KC.
The picture above is a map of KC's streetcar progress. This was very interesting to me because it will show what they have to do to each stop and they provide dates of when its going to be completed, plus any detours that might happen. each bubble will turn blue when its finished.
According to http://www.kcmo.org, they are using 5 guidelines to obtain Greater Kansas City. Creating a walkable downtown, doubling the downtown population, increase employment, promoting a safer neighborhood, and promote sustainability. Of these five, the streetcar will improve:
-Walkable Downtown; by having a streetcar, this will make cars useless for people living downtown, like New York they could just use the streetcar. Also having tourists on the streetcar, stopping every two blocks, they will see our artsy street stores, nice restaurants, and spend more time on the sidewalks than their cars.
-Increased Employment; I have seen three websites that claim this streetcar will provide more jobs. Increasing our infrastructure is key to creating more SmartGrowth like this. (perhaps the solar paneled highway)
-Promoted Sustainability; this streetcar will have more people on our sidewalks, this can lead them to our WWI memorial and our Union Station which already shows we are sustainable. If more tourists are able to visit then they can easily get to them.
-Walkable Downtown; by having a streetcar, this will make cars useless for people living downtown, like New York they could just use the streetcar. Also having tourists on the streetcar, stopping every two blocks, they will see our artsy street stores, nice restaurants, and spend more time on the sidewalks than their cars.
-Increased Employment; I have seen three websites that claim this streetcar will provide more jobs. Increasing our infrastructure is key to creating more SmartGrowth like this. (perhaps the solar paneled highway)
-Promoted Sustainability; this streetcar will have more people on our sidewalks, this can lead them to our WWI memorial and our Union Station which already shows we are sustainable. If more tourists are able to visit then they can easily get to them.
Sources cited:
"History of Metro." NFTA-Metro. N.p., n.d. Web. 29 May 2014.
Website
"KC Downtown Streetcar Project." KC Streetcar. N.p., n.d. Web. 29 May 2014.
Website
"More than a Year from Operation, Kansas City’s Streetcar Is Already Driving Investment Downtown." Smart Growth America. N.p., n.d. Web. 29 May 2014.
Website
"Single-Family Houses: A Smart Growth Strategy." Legal Planet. N.p., n.d. Web. 29 May 2014.
"History of Metro." NFTA-Metro. N.p., n.d. Web. 29 May 2014.
Website
"KC Downtown Streetcar Project." KC Streetcar. N.p., n.d. Web. 29 May 2014.
Website
"More than a Year from Operation, Kansas City’s Streetcar Is Already Driving Investment Downtown." Smart Growth America. N.p., n.d. Web. 29 May 2014.
Website
"Single-Family Houses: A Smart Growth Strategy." Legal Planet. N.p., n.d. Web. 29 May 2014.