Why is Kansas City’s transit agency giving out tax breaks for housing developments?

Over the past year, the Kansas City Area Transportation Authority (KCATA) has considered tax exemptions for a string of mixed-use housing developments across the city. Among them are an apartment building in Waldo, a downtown high-rise building and two developments coming to midtown — one along the streetcar extension and another at 39th Street and State Line Road.

It may sound odd that the region’s primary bus service would be involved in the development of housing, but the pairing of public transit with development is a part of a nationwide policy shift. Referred to as “transit-oriented development,” the idea is that transportation should be considered at every stage of planning for neighborhood development.