Caleb Melchior
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  • Home
  • What I'm Doing Now
  • Planting Design
    • Chapman Botanical Garden
    • The Meadow
    • Frontier Farm Credit
    • Poetic Image Studio
    • Farm on the Roof
  • Writing
    • Memos to Myself Prologue
  • Illustration
    • Illustration
    • Rendering
    • Garden to Plate
    • Sketchbooks
  • Journal
Retrofit40 examined an 18-mile stretch of Highway 40 to the southeast of Kansas City, Missouri. The project examined a range of urban, suburban and rural conditions and established strategies for future development. Individual districts were identified based on urban density, land cover, and existing development patterns. Immediate intervention strategies give direction for effective development of underutilized sites.
Envisioning potentials for the entire 18-mile corridor involves understanding the unique characteristics of each district and envisioning future opportunities.
The Hwy 40 corridor is marked by a large number of underutilized filling stations.
The red tower at the east end of the corridor provides a significant anchor for visitors to the site.
Multiple cultural communities occur along the length of the corridor, marked by unique businesses such as Wild Woody's Happy Foods.
Different districts along the corridor were estabished based on architectural character and land development patterns.
Several sites along the corridor have significant potential for rejuvenation through urban agriculture.
Where the Hwy splits into east- and west-bound separate lanes, there is a prime spot for a public park.
Subterranean tunnels will enable wildlife to cross under Hwy 40 safely, while bike lanes will provide alternative forms of transportation.
Closed box stores and strip malls offer locations for temporary agricultural production and training.
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