In the News: Building Great Cities: Topeka’s Better Block Story

Topeka Landscape Blog
October 8, 2018

We all recognize great cities when we see them. Vibrant cultural centers like Austin, Denver, and Portland attract and retain talent, diversity, and innovation. People love working in, living in, and visiting great cities, but what specific traits make a good city a great one? Alongside thriving economies, well-functioning city government, public libraries and museums, a strong public education system, and access to health care, we believe there to be an additional factor that matters: accessible green space. Topeka Landscape recently had the honor of partnering with Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Kansas, Topeka and Shawnee County Public Library, and the Kansas Children’s Discovery Center on the Better Block initiative. The partnership allowed us to create a linear pocket park that temporarily transformed the SW 200 and SW 300 blocks of 8th Street into a space for families and individuals to enjoy.