KC's Big 5 needs for 2020s

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earthling
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KC's Big 5 needs for 2020s

Post by earthling »

KC accomplished quite a bit last decade addressing some key needs. New airport under construction, transit improvements (streetcar, early embracement of Uber/bikeshare/scooters, progressive with free bus talks), downtown's fairly decent boom, surprising amount of investment on KC's east side.

What should KC city/region target for next decade? Some thoughts/ideas...

Crime: KC's biggest issue right now and not just KCMO. Sounds like the Feds are getting involved with KC this year, focused on the drug trade. Hope they can make a difference. KCPD needs to get into crime prevention mode, not just crime response mode. With free bus, moving some from car to foot/bus patrol might keep them more engaged with City and make others more comfortable to take bus.

Schools: What most hot markets have that KC doesn't is a strong research university. Need to raise bar for UMKC and KU. Needs high profile attention with ecodev groups.

Economy: Target #1 in areas already strong in (freight/warehousing/logistics, animal health research), keep up with areas that we can be a leader in (engineering, Fed jobs, what else?). Look for new industry opportunities that KC can get in early on. KC will never be a leader in Tech but needs to keep up, improving universities should help.

Transit: Make free bus happen (at least a 2 year trial), promote the free WiFi, work while commuting. Pursue KCPD foot patrol on buses. Once new airport terminal opens work with airlines to get nonstop destinations back to over 100 cities (it's down to under 50).

Development: Downtown has good momentum now but need to raise bar with expectations for quality pedestrian scale experience/living - promote downtown as a community center to broader city/metro with free bus. More cautious/productive use of incentives. Target spec office construction, grow downtown employment base. Build momentum for E Side and S Side. Can smell Midtown will be hot next this decade as sort of a downtown overspill.

Other Big 5 needs? Other areas that should be targeted?
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normalthings
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Re: KC's Big 5 needs for 2020s

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My top 5.

1. Regional Transit Funding. Free fares and consider true BRT or center running streetcar on the highest ridership routes.

2. Develop KU and MU from ~130th in the nation to top 50-75. Develop UMKC as a top 120 school. A big focus for both KU and UMKC Med should be developing the research side of their operations. Research can bring in a lot of sustainable revenue for the organizations while boosting their profiles, attracting better professors and students, and creating high paying jobs. Washington University provides a huge economic boost to St. Louis directly, through its spin off startups, and through the private firms it attracts. UT and Vanderbilt have had the same effects in Austin and Nashville

2b. Fixing the crime/poverty cycle and preparing the workforce of tomorrow all begin with early childhood education. Let’s talk about free universal pre-k. Let’s try and bring KCPS’s substandard outcomes up to par with their significantly above average per pupil funding. Reopen Southwest High School if the neighborhood demand is truly there.

3. Financial and Tech jobs are ever increasingly leaving the coasts. Entire investment banks are moving to the nation’s center. We should be targeting these groups already (JP Morgan is looking to move thousands of jobs as we speak).

3b.The area’s federal offices are spread somewhat hap hazardously across the metro. I’d move to try and consolidate them into the government district/east village/southeast loop. Creating this sort of federal district would be beneficial to downtown development while increasing efficiency for the Feds. Look to target the Federal jobs that bring with them the most high paid private contractors and vendors.

4. Airport Passanger - KCI’s lack of service makes us less attractive to attract or retain jobs. The region needs to work on building and incentivizing more domestic routes as well as adding at least 1 year round flight on a full service carrier to either the UK, France, Germany, or Netherlands. We currently have enough passengers during the summer for multiple direct flights. However, we need something year round to really be of use to the business community.

4b. Airport Cargo - KC has added millions of sqft of warehouses over the last decade but hasn’t really seen a growth in cargo flights. We have highway and rail logistics down, now let’s try and bring air cargo into the mix.
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Re: KC's Big 5 needs for 2020s

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Air Cargo is a good one, worth doubling down on pursuing given strong ties to the other modes and barge industry is back too.

Never had kids and can't really speak to schools but from what I've heard the incompetency level of too many KCPS teachers is astonishing. Get rid of tenure and incompetent teachers?
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Re: KC's Big 5 needs for 2020s

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earthling wrote: Wed Jan 01, 2020 2:51 pm Air Cargo is a good one, worth doubling down on pursuing given strong ties to the other modes and barge industry is back too.

Never had kids and can't really speak to schools but from what I've heard the incompetency level of too many KCPS teachers is astonishing. Get rid of tenure and incompetent teachers?
More info on KCPS:
The average ACT score from students in the KCPS is 16.8. (The minimum score required to get into the University of Missouri, Columbia is 24; unless student is in the top 6% class; then score of 17 is allowed) (1) Only 31% of district students are proficient in math; 72% of district students cannot read at grade level.
KCPS does this while spending $3-5,000 more per student than the leading suburban districts. NKC is the closest in terms of diversity/incomes and spends $4k less with significantly better outcomes. The entire KCPS from top to bottom needs fixing.
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Re: KC's Big 5 needs for 2020s

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normalthings wrote: Wed Jan 01, 2020 3:29 pm KCPS does this while spending $3-5,000 more per student than the leading suburban districts. NKC is the closest in terms of diversity/incomes and spends $4k less with significantly better outcomes. The entire KCPS from top to bottom needs fixing.
I feel like the council and mayor take a weak pass on education and I get the sense they don’t think it’s their responsibility. But, our weak lower education system is holding the city back. They need to drive this harder, even if it means conflict with the KCPS superintendent and board. There needs to be a major shakeup.
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Re: KC's Big 5 needs for 2020s

Post by earthling »

Collison's new year review and potential things coming this decade...
https://cityscenekc.com/greater-downtow ... r-workers/
Developers are expected continue to pursue a possible City Target in 2020, and there is a solid rumor that Dollar General plans to open a DGX, its new city store concept, possibly in the Crossroads.
He brings up downtown baseball. Does anyone think it should be a top 5 priority for decade?
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Re: KC's Big 5 needs for 2020s

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normalthings wrote: Wed Jan 01, 2020 1:50 pm

3b.The area’s federal offices are spread somewhat hap hazardously across the metro. I’d move to try and consolidate them into the government district/east village/southeast loop. Creating this sort of federal district would be beneficial to downtown development while increasing efficiency for the Feds. Look to target the Federal jobs that bring with them the most high paid private contractors and vendors.
This should be in the bottom 5 things needed.

You're saying there should be a giant pedestrian unfriendly, dead in the evenings area with lots of demand for parking.
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Re: KC's Big 5 needs for 2020s

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beautyfromashes wrote: Wed Jan 01, 2020 3:46 pm I feel like the council and mayor take a weak pass on education and I get the sense they don’t think it’s their responsibility. But, our weak lower education system is holding the city back. They need to drive this harder, even if it means conflict with the KCPS superintendent and board. There needs to be a major shakeup.
A school district is a state level entity. The city has zero power to create a shakeup. What you feel and what can be done by the council and mayor are not remotely the same.

What needs to be done is to get more people to run for the board.

In April 2019, sub district 4 had *zero* people run for the seat. In April 2016 sub district one, three and five all had *zero* people run for the seat. Think of what the city council would be like if three seats were won by a write in candidate.

In 2016 a Lee's Summit school board seat had 11 candidates

For 2016, sub district five in 2016 had 50 write in candidates. Three had 86 write in candidates. One had 152 write in candidates.
Someone from those lists could have filed
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Re: KC's Big 5 needs for 2020s

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Many cities are moving to mayoral control of school boards. Individuals would be appointed by the mayor instead if elected. I could see some benefit to it here.
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Re: KC's Big 5 needs for 2020s

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At the moment of writing this, the KCMSD seems more stable and well-run than the city government that would theoretically lead the shake-up.
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Re: KC's Big 5 needs for 2020s

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I don't see anything that says the needs must be something KC the city must accomplish on it's own - it's a list of top five needs, and K-12 PUBLIC schools with good teachers and safe environments is a top 5 need IMO to get families to move to and stay in KCMO. I, for one, am considering a move out of midtown KC for a better school system that doesn't require sending my son to a private or charter school, as good as some of those may be.
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Re: KC's Big 5 needs for 2020s

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kcjak wrote: Thu Jan 02, 2020 4:16 pm I don't see anything that says the needs must be something KC the city must accomplish on it's own - it's a list of top five needs, and K-12 PUBLIC schools with good teachers and safe environments is a top 5 need IMO to get families to move to and stay in KCMO. I, for one, am considering a move out of midtown KC for a better school system that doesn't require sending my son to a private or charter school, as good as some of those may be.
Does it need families to move in? Can't existing families improve the district?
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Re: KC's Big 5 needs for 2020s

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flyingember wrote: Thu Jan 02, 2020 5:16 pm
kcjak wrote: Thu Jan 02, 2020 4:16 pm I don't see anything that says the needs must be something KC the city must accomplish on it's own - it's a list of top five needs, and K-12 PUBLIC schools with good teachers and safe environments is a top 5 need IMO to get families to move to and stay in KCMO. I, for one, am considering a move out of midtown KC for a better school system that doesn't require sending my son to a private or charter school, as good as some of those may be.
Can't existing families improve the district?
Yes, they can.

But why spend time fighting a district that doesn’t seem like it wants to change when you have the resources to send your kids to charter/private/other district.

IMHO, a big shift in the people and attitude at KCPS is needed. Look at the way the district has approached the Southwest High School issue. The district feels extremely complacent with the status quote despite being extremely below “average.”
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Re: KC's Big 5 needs for 2020s

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flyingember wrote: Thu Jan 02, 2020 10:15 am
normalthings wrote: Wed Jan 01, 2020 1:50 pm

3b.The area’s federal offices are spread somewhat hap hazardously across the metro. I’d move to try and consolidate them into the government district/east village/southeast loop. Creating this sort of federal district would be beneficial to downtown development while increasing efficiency for the Feds. Look to target the Federal jobs that bring with them the most high paid private contractors and vendors.
This should be in the bottom 5 things needed.

You're saying there should be a giant pedestrian unfriendly, dead in the evenings area with lots of demand for parking.
Federal areas don’t have to be dead or pedestrian unfriendly. Especially if they are leasing space from private developers as they would have under the CB 30-40 floor federal tower plan. This doesn’t need to be a super high priority but I see it as the easiest way for us to get high paying jobs downtown.
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Re: KC's Big 5 needs for 2020s

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normalthings wrote: Thu Jan 02, 2020 6:20 pm
flyingember wrote: Thu Jan 02, 2020 5:16 pm
kcjak wrote: Thu Jan 02, 2020 4:16 pm I don't see anything that says the needs must be something KC the city must accomplish on it's own - it's a list of top five needs, and K-12 PUBLIC schools with good teachers and safe environments is a top 5 need IMO to get families to move to and stay in KCMO. I, for one, am considering a move out of midtown KC for a better school system that doesn't require sending my son to a private or charter school, as good as some of those may be.
Can't existing families improve the district?
Yes, they can.

But why spend time fighting a district that doesn’t seem like it wants to change when you have the resources to send your kids to charter/private/other district.

IMHO, a big shift in the people and attitude at KCPS is needed. Look at the way the district has approached the Southwest High School issue. The district feels extremely complacent with the status quote despite being extremely below “average.”
Again, the district is in a better place now than at any time in the last several decades. Leadership is stable. Test scores are going up. This is what people cried out for for years. Given how hard it's been to reach this point, I can't imagine that a major shakeup would produce a better result and it may well make things worse. We've been in the district for several years and we don't spend any amount of time fighting with the district. None. It's really not as complicated as people on the outside think it is.

The SW thing is a side issue that has its own set of very complicated circumstances unrelated to overall academic performance. It's also been discussed and rediscussed in a different thread. Perhaps we should split the last few posts off and put this discussion over there.
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Re: KC's Big 5 needs for 2020s

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normalthings wrote: Thu Jan 02, 2020 6:39 pm
flyingember wrote: Thu Jan 02, 2020 10:15 am
normalthings wrote: Wed Jan 01, 2020 1:50 pm

3b.The area’s federal offices are spread somewhat hap hazardously across the metro. I’d move to try and consolidate them into the government district/east village/southeast loop. Creating this sort of federal district would be beneficial to downtown development while increasing efficiency for the Feds. Look to target the Federal jobs that bring with them the most high paid private contractors and vendors.
This should be in the bottom 5 things needed.

You're saying there should be a giant pedestrian unfriendly, dead in the evenings area with lots of demand for parking.
Federal areas don’t have to be dead or pedestrian unfriendly. Especially if they are leasing space from private developers as they would have under the CB 30-40 floor federal tower plan. This doesn’t need to be a super high priority but I see it as the easiest way for us to get high paying jobs downtown.
The easiest way to get federal jobs downtown is to lease out existing space we already have. It's why the government moved people into One Pershing Square amd the State Street complex.

So then why create a specific government only district if they would just be leasing from other owners? There's zero benefit to forcing a specific are be for the federal government.
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Re: KC's Big 5 needs for 2020s

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What other needs/issues for KC (city/metro) to address this decade?
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Re: KC's Big 5 needs for 2020s

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Increasing development and reducing poverty on the East Side is a big one. A lot of things discussed above specifically hurt the poorest residents on the east side. Lack of transit, poor schools, crime, poor housing choices.

Also
Capping the South loop
Get rid of North Loop
Competent trash service
Complete new airport
Complete streetcar extension 1 and 2, plan #3 (Independence Ave seems like a good choice)
Zero Fare
Adopt Bike Plan
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Re: KC's Big 5 needs for 2020s

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alejandro46 wrote: Fri Jan 03, 2020 12:51 pm Increasing development and reducing poverty on the East Side is a big one. A lot of things discussed above specifically hurt the poorest residents on the east side. Lack of transit, poor schools, crime, poor housing choices.
Two things I predict will happen, more affluent people will begin moving into the east side neighborhoods as the sub $250k housing stock continues to dry up, reducing crime and increasing community involvement with the school district.

And two, and increase in homelessness as the current residents are pushed out. Makes the need for subsidized affordable housing even more important now, before this starts happening in earnest.
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Re: KC's Big 5 needs for 2020s

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shinatoo wrote: Fri Jan 03, 2020 12:55 pm And two, and increase in homelessness as the current residents are pushed out. Makes the need for subsidized affordable housing even more important now, before this starts happening in earnest.
I think you’ll see more movement to cheaper suburbs instead of homelessness ie. Grandview, Raytown, Lee’s Summit, Ruskin, etc.
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