Kansas City Missouri (KCMO)

Kansas City’s Smart City taking shape with kiosks’ arrival

The first physical elements of Kansas City’s Smart City project have sprung up in downtown. On Monday morning, the City of Kansas City, Mo. installed two digital kiosks on the 1300 block of Grand Boulevard. The seven-foot-tall, touchscreen kiosks — only two of 25 total — will provide users details on city services and real-time information…

Brown: ‘Most entrepreneurial city’ should act like it with Airbnb regulations

Editor’s note: Kansas City is mulling regulations that would affect the operations of more than 300 “home-sharing” properties in the area. The proposed regulations would impose a $600 permitting fee and a host of other stipulations on hosts of Airbnb, VRBO and other similar services.  New technology brings promises of a better future. But it…

Another Uber fiasco? KCMO proposes $600 fee, regulations for Airbnb hosts

Recently proposed city regulations could throw Kansas City home-sharing in the doghouse. More than 100 area hosts and guests of services like Airbnb and VRBO fueled a discussion Monday on home-sharing regulations that the City of Kansas City, Mo., is proposing after  complaints of abuse. Led by assistant city manager Rick Usher, city officials met…

Blake Miller: Missouri should scrap its ‘Show Me’ slogan

Editor’s note: The following piece was inspired by recent news that Acre Designs, a startup that launched in Kansas City, will be relocating to San Francisco after facing a tepid, area investor market.    Cue the somber violin music. Another sad, all-too-familiar Kansas City story recently played out with news that Acre Designs will be leaving the…

Innovation officer confident KC can nab $50M transportation grant

The City of Fountains has a solid shot at landing a $50 million award that could transform its transportation system. At least that’s what Kansas City’s new chief innovation officer Bob Bennett believes. Bennett, who started his tenure as Kansas City’s second innovation officer in January, said that the city’s openness to new technology situates…