Vibrant Success Stories event celebrates sustainable planning in the region

The Vibrant Success Stories event, hosted by MARC, the Climate and Environment Council and the Sustainable Places Policy Committee, honored outstanding projects funded by the Planning Sustainable Places (PSP) program.

Since its start, PSP has funded 118 studies that engage communities and advance vibrant, connected and green places. This year’s honorees included:

• Kansas Avenue – Downtown Olathe Active Transportation Connectivity Plan: Revitalizing downtown Olathe with safer crossings, wider sidewalks and a new cycle track.
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• Clocktower Landing – Downtown Overland Park Event and Transportation Hub Study: Enhancing the farmers market and improving transportation access in a walkable, mixed-use district.
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• Overland Park Central Plan: Supporting the long-term vitality of College Boulevard and the Overland Park Convention Center with a focus on walkability and multi-modal transportation.
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• Southwest Boulevard Transportation Study: Creating a safer, more accessible and vibrant corridor.
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• Gillham Road Corridor Bike Connections Plan: Improving bike and pedestrian infrastructure along Gillham Road.
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“The 2025 Vibrant Success Stories gathering shows how local leaders use PSP's seed funding to turn community-driven plans into real, place-based progress — creating vibrant corners, better connections and greener, healthier neighborhoods,” said Beth Dawson, principal planner at MARC and PSP program manager.

“Over the past 12 years, PSP has helped build consensus, align transportation and land use, and chart clear roadmaps from vision to implementation in settings ranging from urban to suburban to outlying communities. Sponsors have leveraged almost $13 million in planning to create almost $900 million in implementation. Ultimately, this program, the studies and implementation further a stronger region. The stories we celebrated prove that small, strategic planning investments can catalyze big, lasting results.”

The event also featured a 2025 update to the Kansas City Regional Climate Action Plan, highlighting how PSP projects continue to support a healthy future for the Kansas City area; as well as a panel of staff from cities around the region discussing their experiences, challenges and insights about moving from the planning phase to implementation.