How can an urban trail reconnect neighborhoods and increase mobility?

Spring 2026 | Greenline_kc

Preface

In the Spring 2026 semester, the Kansas City Design Center studied the Greenline, a proposed 10-mile multi-modal trail encircling downtown Kansas City, designed to connect neighborhoods, parks, transit, and opportunity while encouraging exploration. It was a pivotal moment for the Greenline as the Levee Trail neared completion and new bike infrastructure was integrated in the Crossroads, Berkley Riverfront, and along The Paseo. These projects offer an opportunity to strengthen connections and shape a more cohesive urban mobility and public space network.

Seventeen interdisciplinary students from architecture, interior architecture, and planning collaborated with the Greenline Executive Subcommittee to explore how the corridor could function as a connected system of public spaces and civic infrastructure. After initial research, students developed site-specific proposals that were presented at Mid-Reviews. In the second half of the semester, students integrated individual proposals into comprehensive segment plans, identifying how projects reinforce one another and create a cohesive Greenline network. Their work includes design guidelines, conceptual proposals, infill strategies, and identifying destinations, trail entries, and missing links, along with a coordinated family of site furnishings to establish a unified Greenline identity.

Disclaimer: The KCDC functions as an academic visioning agency only, and does not implement or build the proposed designs from its academic projects. The research, study, and plans developed by the studio may be used by the City of KCK, SomeraRoad, or other applicable organizations to conduct their own development and implementation separate from the KCDC’s project. It is our hope that the studio’s visioning process acts as a conduit for the communities voice to be heard through the design proposal presented.