Access the Interactive Plan

Navigate each section of the KC Spirit Playbook in an interactive website

Playbook Summary

This handout provides a quick summary of the KC Spirit Playbook, how it is structured, and how it will be implemented. 

Playbook PDF

A PDF copy of the official, adopted comprehensive plan.

KC Spirit Databook 

An interactive databook created at the beginning of the comprehensive planning process in 2020. It has lots of great information on trends in demographics, housing, the economy, and infrastructure systems in Kansas City. 

Community Engagement Summary

The process to create Kansas City's new comprehensive plan spanned more than three years from 2019 to 2023. 

Looking Back: Previous Comprehensive Plans

Kansas City’s previous comprehensive plan was the FOCUS Plan. FOCUS stands for “Forging Our Comprehensive Urban Strategy” which was adopted in October 1997. Seven distinct but interwoven component plans were developed to detail the action steps needed to make the FOCUS vision and policy principles a reality.

How to Use the Playbook

The Playbook allows the city to be proactive in achieving the community's vision for Kansas City by providing a plan for the next 20 years of physical development and growth. It is a guide for city decisions on funding and city services, public improvements, changes to city codes and ordinance, and more! The Playbook also helps city partners, neighborhoods, businesses, and property owners move in step with the city toward a common vision. 

Implementation Dashboard

The Implementation Dashboard provides a convenient user interface where all of the plans recommendations can be viewed in one place. It also allows users to sort, filter and search the plans’ recommendations, to see relationships of plan elements, and to see information about how to implement recommended actions (responsible entities, timeframes, cost categories and measures of success).

Evaluation Tools & Guidelines

The following tools in the plan are used to help evaluate projects and guide the design and delivery of projects and services:

• Goal Supporting Criteria: Used to determine consistency with the Playbook's 10 Goals
• Global Design Guidelines: Guidelines that apply to all areas of the city, regardless of context or setting
• Development Form and Context Guidelines: More detailed and site-specific guidelines that apply to specific development form and contexts throughout the city

Area Plan Updates

The Playbook ties together and will guide future updates to the city's eighteen area plans and other citywide plans related to trails, major streets, economic development, housing, parks, and other topics.

Stay Connected!

Please help us improve the site by letting us know if a link is broken, if there is a word you want to see in the glossary, if something doesn't quite make sense, or if you need a graphic to help you visualize something - we are listening. Email us at playbook@kcmo.org!

You can also sign up to receive our periodic Playbook Newsletters to receive updates about the implementation process.