WICHITA, Kan., Aug. 13, 2026 – Today, Downtown Wichita released the final Downtown Wichita Action Plan (Action Plan) draft.

Developed through a year-long community engagement process led by Downtown Wichita and design firm Sasaki, the Action Plan is a vision for how the community would like its urban core to look and feel in 2035 – and a 10-year roadmap for how to get there.

Shaped by input from more than 1,000 Wichitans at more than 50 stakeholder events, it builds on Project Downtown, the city's master plan adopted in 2010, and envisions a connected, mixed-use urban core that embraces the Arkansas River, celebrates Wichita's culture and heritage, and prioritizes high-quality urban design.

“The Action Plan is both a community vision and a step-by-step implementation guide for our downtown,” said Heather Schroeder, Executive Director of Downtown Wichita. “We've already begun advancing several priorities identified in the plan, such as the Clean Team and a downtown grocery store. Together with our public and private partners, we're creating a downtown that celebrates our riverfront, prioritizes great design and expands opportunities for people to live, work and gather in the center of our city."

The plan received broad community and regional support throughout its development. Schroeder presented the final draft to the Historic Preservation Board, the Bicycle and Pedestrian Advisory Board, the Transit Advisory Board, the Advance Plans Committee, and all six Wichita District Advisory Boards, gathering feedback from residents across the city. On July 23, the Metropolitan Area Planning Commission (MAPC) unanimously recommended that the city and county adopt the action plan into the shared city-county Comprehensive Plan.

Goals for Downtown Wichita’s Next Decade

Informed by community priorities, the Action Plan is organized around four goals that define the future of downtown Wichita:

• Connected Downtown - Downtown Wichita will be a connected, welcoming place where people can easily navigate to shopping, dining and cultural attractions on foot or by bike, car or transit.
• Riverfront Downtown - Downtown Wichita will embrace the Arkansas River as the city’s central gathering place for recreation, entertainment and the enjoyment of nature.
• Well-Designed Downtown - Downtown Wichita will feature well-designed buildings, streets and public spaces that create a safe, attractive and welcoming environment.
• Full-Service Downtown - Downtown Wichita will evolve as a dense, mixed-use urban center to unlock new opportunities for living, working, shopping and entertainment.

From Vision to Action

The plan outlines 17 key strategies and over 100 actions for implementation. Highlights include:

• Working with the development community to establish more than 5,000 new apartments and townhomes, including a range of affordability and home ownership options.
• Establishing a downtown circulator bus that runs every 10 minutes, connecting downtown to the new transit Hub in Delano.
• Turning Douglas Avenue into a “signature street” with more shade and more space for all users, including outdoor cafes.
• Activating the Arkansas riverfront with enhanced opportunities for dining, outdoor recreation, and commerce.

While many recommendations will be advanced over the next decade, several priorities identified in the Action Plan are already taking shape.

Recent progress includes the launch of the Downtown Wichita Clean Team, which is helping create a cleaner and more welcoming downtown environment, as well as plans for a new 30,000-square-foot downtown grocery store. The grocery store is an important step toward expanding services for residents and supporting a more complete, full-service urban core.

Project Downtown

Project Downtown resulted in more than $2 billion in downtown investment from 2010 to 2025, and a pipeline of more than $800 million in additional projects underway. These efforts have strengthened Wichita’s urban core, expanded housing and business opportunities, and set the stage for the next era of growth.

• 119 completed projects in 15 years
• 6.3 million square feet transformed
• 1,935 new housing units added
• 1,350 new hotel rooms opened
• 5,600 new parking spaces added
• 20 additional projects currently under construction or in the pipeline.

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About Downtown Wichita
Downtown Wichita is a private 501(c)(3) nonprofit corporation that amplifies the energy, capital, and growth of downtown by empowering residents, visitors and businesses to explore the possibilities of the city’s core. Collaborating with stakeholders, the organization stimulates continued investment and interest in downtown and connects resources from the private sector and local government that allow commerce and culture to thrive. For more information visit: https://downtownwichita.org/home.

About Sasaki
Sasaki has been a leader in the design industry for over 70 years. The firm is known for its integrated design approach, engaging with clients and communities, drawing on history and context, and using data and emerging technologies to shape the built environment. With offices in Boston, Denver, New York, Shanghai, and Los Angeles, Sasaki’s 300 professionals partner with education, civic, institutional, and commercial clients around the world. Sasaki’s integrated services span architecture, interior design, planning and urban design, space planning, landscape architecture, and civil engineering. For more information, visit: https://www.sasaki.com/