Site Context and Selection Process

12 sites for potential public space locations in the West Bottoms were selected by the West Bottoms Reborn design team based on three processes: Spatial Typologies, relationships to the System of Urban Connections, and community feedback. These twelve sites embody a variety of spatial conditions, each relate to a framework of Gateways, Corridors, and Nodes, and align with the feedback received from the public.

The twelves sites interrelate through not just proximity but through common problems, histories, and experiences:

In order to discover the relationships between them, the set of twelve sites were analyzed with two methods: Connection Typologies and String Theory. These two analytical methods unveiled layers of physical and experiential connections across sites. In this way, the sites can be understood not as individual entities but as a network of multiple public spaces that work together to forge the West Bottom's public realm. 

From those twelve sites, the design team has subsequently chosen three sites as design study areas for the exploration of the creation of public spaces: Central Avenue Viaduct, Liberty Courtyard, and 12th Street Alley. 

For an in depth look at the site selection process, please refer to the KCDC's project publication for the first phase of West Bottoms Reborn.