Matt Staub
@staubio.com
Jaded KCMO urbanist. Marketing agency owner. Curious person. Creative generalist. Traveler. Visited 49/50 largest US metros.
Important perspective. Left NIMBYs are also particularly culpable in this.
When NIMBYs block an apartment for not being "Affordable enough", they are telling those future residents (who can afford market-rates of new homes) to instead go bid up the price of the existing housing stock. Repeat enough times, and you make the whole city unaffordable.
December 4, 2025 at 7:08 PM
Important perspective. Left NIMBYs are also particularly culpable in this.
This is how we should accommodate transit when we want to close streets, instead of forcing reroutes like we do for events at T-Mobile Center in KC. Let the professional drivers pass through slowly and safely and give transit an advantage in times of congestion, not further delay.
Before (2024) / After (2025) the pedestrianization of Pont d'Iéna, Paris 16. Before that, tourists taking selfies in front of the Eiffel Tower had to go in the middle of the wide lanes of general traffic. Now they are in a pedestrian zone and just have to cross a slow bus lane (20 kph = 12 mph).
December 4, 2025 at 5:45 PM
This is how we should accommodate transit when we want to close streets, instead of forcing reroutes like we do for events at T-Mobile Center in KC. Let the professional drivers pass through slowly and safely and give transit an advantage in times of congestion, not further delay.
My most-used words in 2025 were:
1. "city" (63×)
2. "downtown" (35×)
3. "building" (30×)
4. "without" (26×)
5. "parking" (23×)
See which words you used the most here: anisota.net/harvest
1. "city" (63×)
2. "downtown" (35×)
3. "building" (30×)
4. "without" (26×)
5. "parking" (23×)
See which words you used the most here: anisota.net/harvest
Anisota's Annual Bluesky Harvest 2025
A recap of your year on Bluesky. Discover patterns, connections, and insights from your journey in the ATmosphere.
anisota.net
December 3, 2025 at 5:33 PM
My most-used words in 2025 were:
1. "city" (63×)
2. "downtown" (35×)
3. "building" (30×)
4. "without" (26×)
5. "parking" (23×)
See which words you used the most here: anisota.net/harvest
1. "city" (63×)
2. "downtown" (35×)
3. "building" (30×)
4. "without" (26×)
5. "parking" (23×)
See which words you used the most here: anisota.net/harvest
Consider the absurdity of expressing the number of residential units as a max and the number of parking spots as a minimum in an age of spiraling housing inaccessibility, climate change, and the crippling cost of car dependence.
The Plaza's master plan may still come up during tomorrow's City Plan Commission meeting, but a vote is set to be continued to Dec. 17. Plaza owners recently made tweaks, among other things, to add a 1,100 residential unit max and a 2,500-space parking minimum.
www.bizjournals.com/kansascity/n...
www.bizjournals.com/kansascity/n...
December 2, 2025 at 9:57 PM
Consider the absurdity of expressing the number of residential units as a max and the number of parking spots as a minimum in an age of spiraling housing inaccessibility, climate change, and the crippling cost of car dependence.
While we're at it, let's rank the KC metro suburban downtowns worth mentioning.
1. Lee's Summit
2. OP
3. Parkville
4. Liberty
5. NKC
6. Independence
7. Mission
8. Shawnee
9. Olathe
1. Lee's Summit
2. OP
3. Parkville
4. Liberty
5. NKC
6. Independence
7. Mission
8. Shawnee
9. Olathe
December 2, 2025 at 8:44 PM
While we're at it, let's rank the KC metro suburban downtowns worth mentioning.
1. Lee's Summit
2. OP
3. Parkville
4. Liberty
5. NKC
6. Independence
7. Mission
8. Shawnee
9. Olathe
1. Lee's Summit
2. OP
3. Parkville
4. Liberty
5. NKC
6. Independence
7. Mission
8. Shawnee
9. Olathe
Fun game inspired by chat with @zavcurrent.bsky.social and @stbikeskc.bsky.social : rank order the fake downtown or supposedly walkabout suburban developments within KC metro. While I dislike them all, I dislike them less than strip malls and big boxes.
December 2, 2025 at 8:30 PM
Fun game inspired by chat with @zavcurrent.bsky.social and @stbikeskc.bsky.social : rank order the fake downtown or supposedly walkabout suburban developments within KC metro. While I dislike them all, I dislike them less than strip malls and big boxes.
Snow days have a way of exposing a community's priorities
December 2, 2025 at 5:47 PM
Snow days have a way of exposing a community's priorities
Sharing cars across households makes so much sense, but is difficult by design. Insurance, repairs, scheduling, etc, get complicated. I'd love to learn more about working models for this. Seems like a larger collective would be more managable, but have to design the right incentives to regulate use.
People in the USA are really fixated on personal ownership of stuff. I’m not particularly anti-materialist but, folks, we can share stuff (cars, bikes, books, tools, buildings) and it makes the world better.
December 2, 2025 at 4:51 PM
Sharing cars across households makes so much sense, but is difficult by design. Insurance, repairs, scheduling, etc, get complicated. I'd love to learn more about working models for this. Seems like a larger collective would be more managable, but have to design the right incentives to regulate use.
Over 8000 of the applications to volunteer for the World Cup specifically in Kansas City came from international applicants. It's gonna be a different city!
December 2, 2025 at 3:46 PM
Over 8000 of the applications to volunteer for the World Cup specifically in Kansas City came from international applicants. It's gonna be a different city!
Reposted by Matt Staub
This explains something that has always mystified me about drivers who rail against bike lanes and transit. Why WOULDN'T you want people to have options not to drive? It would make your own driving better! But they don't just want good traffic, they want to reinforce the NORM of driving
This is actually quite brilliant, up to and including the final sentence 🔥
December 1, 2025 at 1:04 PM
This explains something that has always mystified me about drivers who rail against bike lanes and transit. Why WOULDN'T you want people to have options not to drive? It would make your own driving better! But they don't just want good traffic, they want to reinforce the NORM of driving
Hey downtown KC: I'm in the market for a new office space effective January. Small office or coworking within a few blocks of the streetcar preferred. Recommendations appreciated!
November 26, 2025 at 11:09 PM
Hey downtown KC: I'm in the market for a new office space effective January. Small office or coworking within a few blocks of the streetcar preferred. Recommendations appreciated!
Housing for people > housing for cars!
"Historic West Bottoms project will re-convert building, turning garage into 60 apartments"
www.bizjournals.com/kansascity/n...
www.bizjournals.com/kansascity/n...
Historic West Bottoms project will re-convert building, turning garage into 60 apartments - Kansas City Business Journal
A pioneering West Bottoms redevelopment plans to add 140 new apartments in a pair of historic buildings, including one it originally converted into a garage.
www.bizjournals.com
November 26, 2025 at 7:31 PM
Housing for people > housing for cars!
As a marketing agency owner, I loathe Black Friday. Not just dealing with ads on the client side, but determining if I need to optimize my spend toward every platform and subscription I use that goes on sale at this time — and feeling like a chump for paying full price.
November 26, 2025 at 6:19 PM
As a marketing agency owner, I loathe Black Friday. Not just dealing with ads on the client side, but determining if I need to optimize my spend toward every platform and subscription I use that goes on sale at this time — and feeling like a chump for paying full price.
Every part of the delivery economy makes life in the city worse. More traffic and illegal parking, fewer people walking, empty restaurants with a revolving door of drivers barging through, etc.
I get that there is a time and place for delivery, but I implore you: go be among the people!
I get that there is a time and place for delivery, but I implore you: go be among the people!
I’ve witnessed gig economy food delivery workers being so fucking rude to restaurant workers too frequently recently ….
…. Whatever convenience you think you are getting … downstream it often involves somebody barging their way through a line of people just to harangue a teenaged cashier or host
…. Whatever convenience you think you are getting … downstream it often involves somebody barging their way through a line of people just to harangue a teenaged cashier or host
November 26, 2025 at 5:25 PM
Every part of the delivery economy makes life in the city worse. More traffic and illegal parking, fewer people walking, empty restaurants with a revolving door of drivers barging through, etc.
I get that there is a time and place for delivery, but I implore you: go be among the people!
I get that there is a time and place for delivery, but I implore you: go be among the people!
The River Market is losing its neighborhood bike shop at the end of the year. :/ Cycling is still too much of a drive-to-ride culture in this city, and the neighborhood is still car centric and Amazon-supplied.
I had high hopes but this is a bummer.
I had high hopes but this is a bummer.
November 25, 2025 at 10:35 PM
The River Market is losing its neighborhood bike shop at the end of the year. :/ Cycling is still too much of a drive-to-ride culture in this city, and the neighborhood is still car centric and Amazon-supplied.
I had high hopes but this is a bummer.
I had high hopes but this is a bummer.
15 of the top 20 highest paid Kansas City, MO city positions are in the fire department. #20 earns $215,212.
Maybe they've overextended their goodwill just a little?
Maybe they've overextended their goodwill just a little?
November 24, 2025 at 7:20 PM
15 of the top 20 highest paid Kansas City, MO city positions are in the fire department. #20 earns $215,212.
Maybe they've overextended their goodwill just a little?
Maybe they've overextended their goodwill just a little?
I need someone smarter than me about the NWSL to confirm or dispel my pessimism about @kansascitycurrent.bsky.social's future.
While it could have been brilliant strategy or luck, I feel like this year's dominant team was all about timing and they can't keep it together.
While it could have been brilliant strategy or luck, I feel like this year's dominant team was all about timing and they can't keep it together.
November 20, 2025 at 6:17 PM
I need someone smarter than me about the NWSL to confirm or dispel my pessimism about @kansascitycurrent.bsky.social's future.
While it could have been brilliant strategy or luck, I feel like this year's dominant team was all about timing and they can't keep it together.
While it could have been brilliant strategy or luck, I feel like this year's dominant team was all about timing and they can't keep it together.
This may be reductive, but if we've spent billions on modern fire code implementation, shouldn't that have resulted in savings in our investment in municipal fire departments?
November 20, 2025 at 6:01 PM
This may be reductive, but if we've spent billions on modern fire code implementation, shouldn't that have resulted in savings in our investment in municipal fire departments?
What Kansas City is taking far too long to understand...
Important comment from JAUNT CEO Mike Murphy during his informative presentation to council on Monday: transit works well when higher density housing exists. Transit policy is directly tied to housing policy.
Presentation here: meetings.cvilledata.org/meetings/cha...
Presentation here: meetings.cvilledata.org/meetings/cha...
November 20, 2025 at 1:41 PM
What Kansas City is taking far too long to understand...
Blue Nitro.
Feels like cheating when my brother and I named our dog after an American Gladiator.
Feels like cheating when my brother and I named our dog after an American Gladiator.
November 20, 2025 at 4:13 AM
Blue Nitro.
Feels like cheating when my brother and I named our dog after an American Gladiator.
Feels like cheating when my brother and I named our dog after an American Gladiator.
Oopsie daisy, accidentally murdered a journalist! We'll try to tone down the future murdering!
Anyway, thanks for having us over to the Home Depot gold palace, pal!
Anyway, thanks for having us over to the Home Depot gold palace, pal!
MBS claims the murder of Khashoggi was "a huge mistake and we're our doing our best that this doesn't happen again."
November 18, 2025 at 6:29 PM
Oopsie daisy, accidentally murdered a journalist! We'll try to tone down the future murdering!
Anyway, thanks for having us over to the Home Depot gold palace, pal!
Anyway, thanks for having us over to the Home Depot gold palace, pal!
Very calm before the storm vibes right now. Markets teetering on the edge of an AI bubble burst, the GOP dam bursting on the Epstein files... it is going to be a painful but cleansing next few weeks.
November 18, 2025 at 4:17 PM
Very calm before the storm vibes right now. Markets teetering on the edge of an AI bubble burst, the GOP dam bursting on the Epstein files... it is going to be a painful but cleansing next few weeks.
My two bike ride inspirations for the winter that I invite anyone to join:
1. Ride every mile of streets and trails that once had streetcars on them (and document any evidence of them)
2. Weekly long night rides exploring closed streets, renegade trails, and forgotten industrial areas.
1. Ride every mile of streets and trails that once had streetcars on them (and document any evidence of them)
2. Weekly long night rides exploring closed streets, renegade trails, and forgotten industrial areas.
November 16, 2025 at 6:59 PM
My two bike ride inspirations for the winter that I invite anyone to join:
1. Ride every mile of streets and trails that once had streetcars on them (and document any evidence of them)
2. Weekly long night rides exploring closed streets, renegade trails, and forgotten industrial areas.
1. Ride every mile of streets and trails that once had streetcars on them (and document any evidence of them)
2. Weekly long night rides exploring closed streets, renegade trails, and forgotten industrial areas.
Two observations in this discussion:
1. The fact that there is robust debate over the answer is a great sign that American cities are broadly on the ride
2. Coastal folks really need to get out more
1. The fact that there is robust debate over the answer is a great sign that American cities are broadly on the ride
2. Coastal folks really need to get out more
Which US city has improved the most over the past 15 years?
November 14, 2025 at 5:38 PM
Two observations in this discussion:
1. The fact that there is robust debate over the answer is a great sign that American cities are broadly on the ride
2. Coastal folks really need to get out more
1. The fact that there is robust debate over the answer is a great sign that American cities are broadly on the ride
2. Coastal folks really need to get out more