![Armourdale Area Master Plan](https://api.mvrdv.com/media/uploads/project/744/04 Masterplan overview.jpg)
Armourdale Area Master Plan
Positioned on the border between two US states, and hemmed in between railway tracks to the north and the Kansas River to the south, Armourdale is a neighbourhood that has been trapped in limbo for the best part of a century. The Armourdale Area Masterplan, developed alongside PORT and Borderless Studio, is a key step in giving the neighbourhood a new direction. With a community-focused approach, the masterplan carefully responds to the highly specific needs of one of the city’s most disadvantaged neighbourhoods.
- Location
- United States
- City
- Kansas City
- Year
- 2020
- Client
- Unified Government of Wyandotte County and Kansas City
- Status
- In progress
- Programmes
- Residential , Industrial , Master plan
- Themes
- Urbanism
The masterplan develops from a clear understanding of Armourdale’s tumultuous history. The neighbourhood emerged as an accompaniment to Kansas City’s railroad and related industry, which in the 19th century was one of two key hubs (along with Chicago) that fuelled the westward expansion of the United States. However, thanks to the Kansas-Missouri state border that separates it from the city centre, and the railroad and the Kansas River that serve to separate it from the rest of the city, the neighbourhood has long been an isolated part of the city. When Armourdale was devastated by a succession of floods in the early 20th century, it began a cycle of emigration, abandonment, and disinvestment.
Since 1951, the neighbourhood has been in a state of uncertainty. A series of levées - built primarily to protect the valuable industry in the area, with protecting homes as a mere side-effect - has prevented any further large floods. Still, serious questions remained about whether the neighbourhood should exist at all. In itself, the creation of this masterplan signifies the final resolution of this question: Armourdale will continue to exist, and will finally receive the attention and investment necessary to thrive.
Given this sensitive context, an extensive community engagement process was crucial to ground any proposal in the everyday realities of the area. MVRDV and PORT added Borderless Studio to the team, who recruited local residents to approach their neighbours and collect information on the challenges faced by various groups. Together with a written survey and a series of workshops, this approach formed the basis of the powerful “Armourdale Strong” campaign (“Armourdale Fuerte” to the area’s many Spanish-speaking residents).
The campaign sparked a productive conversation among the community, in many cases connecting stakeholders who would not normally interact to discuss their needs and work towards compromises. As a result of this conversation, the Armourdale masterplan was developed to focus on five key areas, with specific approaches for each zone.
The first of these focal points is to upgrade the neighbourhood core, improving the quality of life for existing residents while creating opportunities for more people to live in Armourdale. The masterplan proposes to phase out the industrial uses that pepper the residential part of the neighbourhood, converting these lots to high-quality, affordable housing or community facilities. Meanwhile, vacant lots should be constructed with new homes, access improved to healthcare, fresh food, and legal aid, and support provided to existing community organisations to expand their capacity. Physical changes to the community include building and repairing sidewalks, planting trees, and a mural programme to encourage community expression and identity.
The second focus is the commercial corridors, with three key routes through the neighbourhood selected for improvement. On these three corridors, the masterplan proposes to ban large trucks, reduce road widths, introduce cycle lanes, plant trees, and reduce parking and building setbacks, all with the goal of making these streets more walkable and improving opportunities for small businesses to thrive.
The Industrial Ring, which encircles the neighbourhood core, is the third focus. Here, the masterplan encourages to move heavy, polluting industries to a more suitable location, and encourage light industry that actively serves Kansas City’s downtown areas. The masterplan also recommends that businesses and the government work with local schools to create employment pipelines, so that in the future, more of Armourdale’s residents can work in their own neighbourhood.
The fourth area of focus, the Kansas River, builds on developments already taking place as part of a city-led improvement plan. In tandem with the river’s levées being raised for flood protection, the local government has proposed to develop a public trail with access points along the river. The Armourdale masterplan recommends a significant expansion of these proposals, with more access points, and robust community hubs with amenities, parking, and access to the river and trails. Another priority is to improve the river’s ecology, using environmental restoration strategies within the existing floodplain.
Finally, the masterplan addresses the West Bottoms, an area located to the east of the Kansas River that spans both sides of the Kansas-Missouri border. With its stronger connections to the city’s downtown in Missouri, this area was historically part of Kansas City’s stockyards, and features many historic industrial buildings. Here, the masterplan proposes a further study with a more targeted approach that considers both the Missouri and Kansas portions of the West Bottoms as a cohesive whole. This plan should aim to turn the West Bottoms into a mixed-use district focused on the public space of the Kansas River.
The masterplan document is available in full here.
Gallery
Community engagement process
Community engagement workshop
Mapping the neighbourhood decline
Masterplan overview
Masterplan summary
Existing land use
New land use
Focus 1: Neighbourhood core
Focus 1: Neighbourhood core
Focus 2: Commercial corridors
Focus 2: Commercial corridors
Focus 3: Industrial ring
Focus 3: Industrial ring
Focus 4: Kansas River
Focus 4: Kansas River
Focus 5: West Bottoms
Focus 5: West Bottoms
![](https://api.mvrdv.com/media/uploads/project/744/01 Community engagement.jpg?width=1920)
![](https://api.mvrdv.com/media/uploads/project/744/02 Community workshop results.jpg?width=1920)
![](https://api.mvrdv.com/media/uploads/project/744/03 Neighbourhood decline.jpg?width=1920)
![](https://api.mvrdv.com/media/uploads/project/744/04 Masterplan overview.jpg?width=1920)
![](https://api.mvrdv.com/media/uploads/project/744/05 Masterplan summary.jpg?width=1920)
![](https://api.mvrdv.com/media/uploads/project/744/06a Land use - existing.jpg?width=1920)
![](https://api.mvrdv.com/media/uploads/project/744/06b Land use - proposed.jpg?width=1920)
![](https://api.mvrdv.com/media/uploads/project/744/07a Neighbourhood core overview.jpg?width=1920)
![](https://api.mvrdv.com/media/uploads/project/744/07b Neighbourhood core summary.jpg?width=1920)
![](https://api.mvrdv.com/media/uploads/project/744/08a Commercial corridors overview.jpg?width=1920)
![](https://api.mvrdv.com/media/uploads/project/744/08b Commercial corridors summary.jpg?width=1920)
![](https://api.mvrdv.com/media/uploads/project/744/09a Industrial ring overview.jpg?width=1920)
![](https://api.mvrdv.com/media/uploads/project/744/09b Industrial ring summary.jpg?width=1920)
![](https://api.mvrdv.com/media/uploads/project/744/10a Kansas River overview.jpg?width=1920)
![](https://api.mvrdv.com/media/uploads/project/744/10b Kansas River summary.jpg?width=1920)
![](https://api.mvrdv.com/media/uploads/project/744/11a West Bottoms overview.jpg?width=1920)
![](https://api.mvrdv.com/media/uploads/project/744/11b West Bottoms summary.jpg?width=1920)
![Credit achtergrond](http://mvrdv.com/media/uploads/04 Masterplan overview.jpg)
Credits
- Founding partner in charge
- Director
- Partners
- Community engagement & Masterplanning:
- PORT
- Borderless Studio