Welcome!

What is the Frankfort Downtown Urban Design and Planning Study?

Have you ever taken a stroll through Downtown Frankfort on a summer evening and felt there was something special about the place? Have you wondered what it could become with just a little more room to gather, connect, and linger? Maybe you’ve enjoyed dining along Kansas Street when it transforms into a seasonal outdoor space, or noticed how Breidert Green, the Old Plank Road Trail, and nearby shops come alive with activity, yet feel just a step away from being fully connected. Now is the moment to take a closer look and dream bigger, what transformations could you imagine taking place here?

The Village of Frankfort is launching the Downtown Frankfort Urban Design and Planning Study, an exciting, community-driven effort to reimagine how downtown streets, public spaces, and gathering places work together to support local businesses, celebrate historic character, and create year-round experiences. To lead the study, the Village has partnered with The Lakota Group, an urban design firm recognized for its transformative work in downtown planning for communities’ nationwide.

Planning Today for Downtown’s Next Chapter

At the heart of the study is Kansas Street, adjoining Breidert Green, which over recent years has become a popular outdoor dining destination during the warmer months. This project will explore how that space currently functions and how it could be enhanced in the future. Should outdoor dining be expanded? Could parts of the street become more pedestrian focused? How can pedestrians, bicyclists, and drivers all move more safely and comfortably downtown?

While Kansas Street is a key focus, this study takes a broader view of Downtown Frankfort as a whole, spanning Hickory to White Street and Elwood to Nebraska. The goal is to understand how streets, parking, buildings, green space, and Old Plank Trail connect and how thoughtful design can strengthen those connections. Transportation, circulation, and parking design will be guided by our traffic planning partner, Kimley-Horn, a national multidisciplinary engineering firm, to ensure the conceptual designs are both creative and practical.

What’s the Focus?

This planning effort looks beyond a single street or improvement. Together with Village leadership, business owners, residents, and stakeholders, the team will explore ideas such as:

  • Creating welcoming, flexible public spaces for dining, retail, events, and everyday gathering

  • Enhancing streetscapes, landscaping, and street furnishings

  • Strengthening pedestrian and bike connections, especially to the Old Plank Road Trail and Breidert Green

  • Exploring parking, traffic, and service solutions that support downtown activity

  • Celebrating the historic character that makes Downtown Frankfort unique

  • Identifying realistic and phase-able improvements that align with an achievable plan and budget

What Will This Study Explore?

This project is built around listening and collaboration. Over the next several months, there will be multiple opportunities to get involved through stakeholder interviews, community open houses, online surveys, and this project website. Whether you live near downtown, own a business, visit often, or just love Frankfort, your perspective matters!

The ideas generated through this process will shape a Downtown Urban Design Master Plan. This plan will provide a clear, actionable roadmap that guides future investments and improvements. While no final decisions are made upfront, the plan will help the Village prioritize projects, pursue funding, and move forward with confidence.

Be sure to check back for updates and share your thoughts along the way. Downtown Frankfort’s next chapter starts here—and you’re invited to help shape it!

How will the community be involved?

Stay Connected!

If you would like to be the first to know about Downtown Frankfort Urban Design & Planning news or if you would like to provide the Planning and Landscape Architecture Team comments, please fill out the form below.