Located in the heart of downtown Kansas City, the Kansas City Design Center (KCDC) is a nationally-recognized partnership among local civic leaders, professional designers, and the architecture and planning programs at the University of Kansas and Kansas State University. The KCDC engages university faculty and some of the region's most talented architecture and planning students in a learning laboratory that actively explores alternatives for Kansas City's future development. The KCDC also serves as an independent forum for critical dialogues about architecture and planning issues, offers technical assistance to public agencies and local community organizations, and promotes excellence in the design of Kansas City's built environment.