Search the Library

Eli Paul, manager of the Library’s Missouri Valley Special Collections, examines the stories behind some of the 200 locally made p...

Taking the old Independence Road through the eastern environs of Kansas City toward Independence, it’s easy to miss some of Kansas City’s richest h...

The lake in Troost Park was once an encampment used by Mormons migrating to Independence. Linked together by Linwood Boulevard and The Paseo, Kansas C...

Named for a prominent turn-of-the-century business mogul, the area around Jacob Loose Park is still one of Kansas City’s most beautiful areas large...

This postcard tour of a bygone era offers views of Independence Boulevard (Kansas City’s first boulevard) and the rugged beauty of the city’s only...

Urban planner Joe Minicozzi looks at the “math” of effective city building, i.e., the financial implications of land use decisions in municipalities l...

Urban designer Jim Kumon looks at the resurgence of small-scale urban neighborhoods in Los Angeles, Denver, and Minneapolis, among other cities, and h...

Chuck Marohn, founder of the nonprofit Strong Towns, launches the Making a Great City series with a critical look at how we build our cities and towns...

Nationally renowned urban thinker Chuck Marohn, who kicked off the Library’s Making a Great City series in January 2018, returns to assess the crucial...