ABSTRACT
A 55-acre shopping district located four miles south of downtown Kansas City,
Missouri, the plaza was the first shopping center to successfully accommodate
cars without compromising the pedestrian experience. The plaza was part of
J. C. Nichols’s vision for the Country Club district and was master planned by
Edward Buehler Delk in 1922. Built in the Spanish Revival style, it expresses
its European inspiration in its public spaces, architecture, and public art. Park-
ing and access is handled inventively, with parking either concealed below
grade or above in “wrapped” structures; this leaves sidewalks and gathering
spaces largely uncompromised. Today, the mix of high-end retail, restaurants,
entertainment options, and offices continues to thrive, thanks to renovation
and revitalization in the late 1970s
Shopping / Working Districts
COUNTRY CLUB PLAZA Kansas City, Missouri
Dallas’s Highland Park Village was the first single-owner, private retail devel-
opment that was undivided by city streets. Developers began working on the
project in 1928 and employed local architectural firm Fooshee and Cheek to
create a town square inspired by visits to California, Mexico, and Spain. Fea-
turing red tile roofs, stucco and terra-cotta facades, brick paths, and a central
fountain, the “Spanish village” accommodated service-oriented tenants, such
as a grocery and post office, and complemented the ample parks and sophisti-
cated aesthetic of neighboring Highland Park. Today, Highland Park Village
continues to thrive with a variety of restaurants and high-end retailers.
