APA Recognizes 2022 Award Winners

The Repurposing Initiative is Kansas City Public Schools' (KCPS) process for transforming more than 30 closed school sites into valuable neighborhood assets. By combining technical site assessments with the participatory planning process, the planning team gave community members impacted by school closures a meaningful voice in re-shaping their communities. From hundreds of affordable and workforce housing units to a community-designed neighborhood park, the KCPS Repurposing Initiative has breathed new life into these historic community spaces.

Outcomes

• KCPS is the first school district to approach the disposition of surplus school sites with a process and framework grounded in inclusive planning principles and values.
• To date, KCPS has sold 21 sites, two additional sites are under contract, three have been reused by KCPS, and two are being held for future district use.
• More than 2,500 community members have attended site visits/proposal presentations and provided feedback to guide these sale/lease decisions
• As the repurposing team works closely with community leaders, elected officials, neighborhood stakeholders and potential buyers to identify and evaluate reuse opportunities, there is a constant feedback loop to gauge how community members feel about the process and outcomes.

Jury said: "This is a great example of how to use planning to give a voice to people in a community who have not had one, and also help them move forward with what can often be difficult change."