This past summer, we organized a series of activations and workshops inviting residents to share priorities and ideas to improve three “catalyst sites” in the Nomar District: Nomar Plaza, Woodland Park, and 21st Street.
Each of the catalyst sites is currently underused. Each also has a strong foundation and assets that we can build on: large, well-kept fields and the adjacent Arkansas River in Woodland Park; the recently constructed shade structure and existing trees in Nomar Plaza; and the existing businesses and vendors along 21st Street. Given that the City of Wichita has limited resources, and may not be able to fund large-scale improvements right away, for each site we developed a two-phase approach that capitalizes on its strengths, and responds to resident priorities that emerged during our engagement.
In the first phase (through 2028), we propose a series of low-cost, small-scale, physical improvements and programs that will help draw more people to each site and make it easier for them to use the sites in lots of different ways.
In the second phase (from 2028 - 2033), public investment increases to match the bigger private investment and the faster-paced revitalization around each site. We propose large-scale, permanent improvements that transform each site, and are suited to accommodate many more people than use the site today or in the near future.
Based on this feedback, we developed strategies for improving each site, and created images of what the sites might look like after they’ve been transformed into green, safe, active community spaces
