As president and CEO of the K.C. Area Development Council, Tim Cowden oversees the growth of 50 communities, 18 counties and portions of two states. 

But transcending the needs of all of them, he said, is one region. 

“You’re going to have competition between communities and counties and states, but if you listen to the customer, they don’t care about the lines,” Cowden said. “And then those lines go away. 

“In Tulsa, I know there is an incredible amount of pride that you have in your community, as you should. There is an incredible amount of pride in Kansas City, regardless of what side of the state line you are on. It is one KC... Downtown Kansas City has to succeed for the region to succeed. We all are going to either succeed or fail based on the region and not one individual community or county.” 

During a panel discussion at last week’s Intercity Visit in Kansas City, Cowden spoke about how regionalism can spark economic development. 

He shared the stage with Paul Neidlin, president of the advanced facilities group for Kansas City-based general contractor JE Dunn, and Kevin Barth, chairman and CEO of Commerce Bank in Kansas City. 

Along with common regional goals, a progressive city needs exceptional leadership, K.C. officials said. 

Barth said residents thought then-K.C. Mayor Kay Barnes was “crazy” when she pushed for the massive Power & Light District, a residential and entertainment development, in the mid-2000s. 

Public sentiment for the $1.5 billion airport upgrade, too, was low until campaigns that demonstrated the feasibility of the improvements pushed them forward. 

“(Barnes) had this vision that this is really about talent,” Barth said. “It’s not just about going out and recruiting companies. We have to make sure Kansas City remains very attractive to not just young people but people anywhere who are considering relocating.” 

The “final piece of the puzzle” for Kansas City’s transformation was the 24-story, 800-room convention center hotel (Loews), which opened in 2020, Cowden said. 

“If you’re going to be a big city, you have to act like it,” he said. “And you have to have the ability to bring people together and go get what you believe is rightfully yours.  

“We’re a big city, but there are a lot of small-town things we have to get away from as we move ahead. There are some lessons from Tulsa in that, too.” 

This article covered programming from the Tulsa Regional Chamber Intercity Visit to Kansas City, Mo. Each fall, the Chamber leads a three-day Intercity Visit during which leaders gain peer insights on best practices, potential opportunities and navigated challenges. Topics often include development, infrastructure and workforce.