The Downtown Wichita Action Plan (Action Plan) took an important step forward in early June with the launch of Phase 2: Ideate & Iterate. This phase of the project is all about transforming community priorities into tangible design strategies to help shape the future of downtown over the next decade.

Throughout the first week of June, the project team collaborated with residents, business leaders, cultural organizations and elected officials to refine the “big ideas” for downtown’s development. Here’s a snapshot of recent accomplishments:

June 1: Riverfest Pop-Up

The Action Plan team set up shop at Riverfest during the festival’s Family Fun Day to connect directly with the community. Participants stopped by to share ideas on how to better connect downtown with the riverfront and imagine new possibilities for the River District.

June 2: Workshop, Brainstorming Session and Open House

The day started with a public branding and identity workshop where cultural organizations and business leaders joined the project team to explore opportunities for showcasing downtown Wichita’s unique identity and competitive advantage.

In the afternoon, the team convened a smaller group of business leaders to brainstorm potential investment strategies to support long-term downtown growth.

Later that night, the team hosted the second Action Plan Open House at TempleLive at Wichita Scottish Rite. This event focused on translating community priorities identified in Phase 1—such as living & working, urban form, getting around, history & culture, and landscape systems—into actionable design concepts. More than 100 individuals moved through a series of interactive stations, placing icons on large-scale maps and boards to illustrate where and how they envision improvements throughout downtown. One of the event’s standout features was a unique, continuous map of both the north and south sides of Douglas Avenue, from Washington to the river, allowing participants to pinpoint exactly where they’d like to see trees planted, streetscapes enhanced and gathering places improved. Attendees also ranked amenities, identified preferred uses and programs, and shared their top priorities for the area's continued transformation.

June 3: Design Charrettes

Through a series of design charrettes, the project team and community members took a deeper dive into five key catalyst sites downtown, examining how the development of each site can promote the Action Plan goals of improving connectivity, elevating design, activating the river, and creating full experiences.

June 4: Implementation Planning

The week concluded with strategic meetings between the project team and city officials to explore funding and implementation tools. These discussions are important to ensure that the ideas generated through community engagement can be turned into real, lasting improvements.

Stay Engaged

As Phase 2 continues, more opportunities for public input and collaboration will be announced. Click here to sign up for Action Plan updates.