Activate Brush Creek: Strategies for activating the Brush Creek Greenway in Kansas City, Missouri, as community health infrastructure

Abstract

Although the health benefits of outdoor recreation are widely recognized, studies show significant disparities in the accessibility and quality of available greenspace across racial and socioeconomic lines, often due to historic urban planning practices that promoted and reinforced segregation (Rigolon 2016, Gordon-Larsen et al. 2006). Such is the case in Kansas City, Missouri (KCMO), where parks in neighborhoods with majority-Black populations and lower socioeconomic statuses often have fewer amenities, more deferred maintenance issues and aging infrastructure, and receive less capital funding than parks in wealthier and majority-White neighborhoods (Vaughan et al. 2013). This disparity has received increased attention in recent years, as numerous studies, planning efforts, and community organizations have pointed to the need for greater equity in the Kansas City Parks and Boulevards system, emphasizing the need for parks to be treated as community health infrastructure (Rep. Parks and Boulevard System 2020). Located in the heart of KCMO, offering 285 acres of public green space and crossing through neighborhoods with the lowest life expectancies in the city, the Brush Creek Greenway (BCG) has potential to serve as a vital asset to support community health, but currently lacks the amenities or investment to do so. This poses the question, “How can the Brush Creek Greenway in Kansas City, MO, serve as health infrastructure for the local community?” To answer, site analysis, park audit, interviews, and precedent studies were used as methods to understand the current state of the BCG, its capacity to support community health, and best practices for community-centered park planning and design. Findings expose a critical need for community-driven infrastructure improvements, community-engaged programming, and collaborative stewardship. Recommendations provide a framework that can be used by community stakeholders to invest in the future of the BCG as a vibrant piece of community health infrastructure.