Imagine KC Series to Focus on Sustainable Community Efforts in KC

Over a year ago, KCPT aired a program on what Kansas City would look like in the next couple of decades titled "Imagine KC". The show focused a lot on how our metro area would grow and the need for denser, sustainable communities complemented by mass transit. You can see a clip of that show on the right sidebar of this blog.

It was a lively program featuring an interesting discussion of government officials, community activists, and regular citizens and brought focus to a sorely underdiscussed topic in this community - how will we grow?

I am pleased to see KCPT will be covering the topic in a year-long series beginning this Thursday at 7:30.

Featured areas for the first episode will include looking at the revitalization of downtown Lee's Summit, the new Troost Bus Rapid Transit, and community involvement with projects like "Tulips on Troost." Throughout the series other possible topics could be trails and creating "walkable" communities, transportation in all its forms, using energy efficiency, conservation, urban design and ultimately what citizens can do to affect change in the region.

 KCPT has really done an outstanding job facilitating this discussion, and I hope more and more citizens get a chance to watch, discuss, and demand their elected officials give weight to developing sustainable communities as part of our future growth.

Kansas City Awarded $4.25 million Grant for "Sustainable Communities"

I am catching up on some old news, so here's a good piece of news from a few weeks ago. The Department of Housing and Urban Development has awarded $4.5 million to the Kansas City metro area to support more liveable and sustainable communities. It is a new three year proposal called Creating Sustainable Places "intended to build economic competitiveness by connecting housing with good jobs, quality schools and transportation."

Kansas City was just one of forty-five areas awarded grants. It will be interesting to see what projects the money is used for.

MARC Presentation on Sustainable Communities

MARC continues its 2010 Leadership Series with a presentation from Sarah James a city planner and author of the book "The Natural Step of Communities: How Cities and Towns Can Change to Sustainable Practices."
  
Participants will learn:

• What is and is not sustainable
• Why a project-by-project approach is not enough
• How broad participation in sustainable change makes a difference
• How to bring about comprehensive community sustainability
• Cost savings through sustainable development

 James will speak Friday, October 8 from 8-10 a.m. at the Sylvester Powell Center in Mission, Kansas.