Kansas City has a long history of obedience to corporate masters. As a result, much of the landscape serves profits better than it does people. The Urban Society of Kansas City was organized a year ago to inject a little humanity into our surroundings. Made up of progressive architects, urban planners, developers and other city lovers, the Urban Society strives to make KC friendlier to pedestrians, the arts and grassroots redevelopment. In a town where politeness often immortalizes bad ideas, the Urban Society complained about the fortresslike design of the new Federal Reserve Bank in midtown. Society members also chipped in ideas to calm traffic in the Crossroads and formed pro bono committees to evaluate possible downtown ballpark locations. The group emerged as the conscience of a city where development is often mistaken for progress.
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