Wichita Convention District

Location: Wichita, KS
Status: 2014-2015
Client: City of Wichita & Downtown Development Corporation
Collaborators: Work completed while at Sasaki as Project Manager, Engagement Lead, and Project Urban Designer
Impact Area: Spaces and Places of Belonging

Public charrette and strategic redevelopment plan for downtown convention district and new public library.

The Wichita City Council was at an impasse. Half of the members wanted to move the public library across the river to a large vacant City-owned site and re-imagine the area around the convention center with an improved public realm design, and the other half didn’t. After a week-long intensive public charrette and months of concept development for both projects, the design team proposed two generous and flexibly programmable public spaces, one on either side of the Arkansas River. Many of the programming ideas came from an engagement process with business owners and community members who described open space needs that were not being met. The design response accommodated both parking requirements and outdoor events of various sizes and formats. The “flex spaces” supported a wide variety of seasonal (and daily) programming possibilities, convincing the holdouts on City Council to vote unanimously in support of both projects.