For immediate release: Friday, July 25, 2025

Kansas City is inviting all Westside residents to take an active role in shaping the neighborhood's future at the Second Community Summit for the Reconnecting the Westside project. This free, interactive workshop will be held on Saturday, August 2, from 10:00 AM to 12:00 PM at the Tony Aguirre Community Center, 2050 W. Pennway St.

"The Second Community Summit for Reconnecting the Westside is where ideas meet action," said Mayor Quinton Lucas. "The voices we heard at our first summit showed us the deep love residents have for their neighborhood. Now we're asking them to dream boldly about its future. We can't erase the highways that divided us, but together, we can design solutions that honor the Westside's resilient spirit while creating new opportunities for generations to come."

The event will feature a hands-on, creative workshop led by national urban planning experts James Rojas and John Kamp of PlaceIt Interactive Planning. Participants will be encouraged to share their memories, dreams, and daily experiences as they imagine and build models of the Westside they want to see.

"We don't just want feedback-we want imagination," said James Rojas, founder of PlaceIt. "The Westside is a powerful, resilient community. This workshop is about unlocking residents' ideas, stories, and creativity to guide future planning efforts rooted in local identity."

Families are encouraged to attend, and a special Kids' Corner will offer hands-on activities where children can create their own visions for the neighborhood.

This is the second in a series of Community Summits supporting the Reconnecting the Westside Planning and Environmental Linkages (PEL) study, which aims to understand and address the physical, social, and economic impacts of the I-35 highway on the Westside. The planning team is working closely with residents to ensure the final recommendations reflect the priorities of the people who know the neighborhood best. For more information about the project, visit www.ReconnectWestside.com.