Dr. Jacob Wagner, UMKC Professor of Urban Planning and Design, Celebrating Kansas City's cultural contribution as a UNESCO Music City

Dr. Wagner teaches Urban Planning and Design at UMKC. He is the faculty founder of the UMKC Center for Neighborhoods - a research and outreach unit dedicated to building the capacity of neighborhood leaders and advocates in Western Missouri. He is a member of the advisory board of the international Journal of Urban Design.  Jacob A. Wagner, Ph.D., has been recognized for his work with UNESCO Cities of Music and the UNESCO Creative Cities Network of the United Nations by both local and international bodies. Kansas City Mayor Quinton Lucas and the City Council recognized Wagner and his colleague, Anita J. Dixon, in 2020 with a proclamation citing the city’s appreciation for their work “to raise awareness, present programs and create economic strategies that support Kansas City’s musicians and membership in the UNESCO Creative Cities Network.” Wagner has also been nominated for a “Public Service Award for a Leading Music Cities Professional” by the Music Cities Awards, a global competition designed to acknowledge and reward the most outstanding applications of music for economic, social and cultural development. The awards seek to promote best practices for music cities and to demonstrate the value of music to cities around the world. ​ Until recently, Kansas City was the only UNESCO City of Music in the United States. New Orleans has recently been recognized as a UNESCO City of Music. Other U.S. cities in the UNESCO Creative City Network include Austin (Media Arts), Detroit (Design), Iowa City (Literature), Paducah, Kentucky (Crafts and Folk Art), Tucson (Gastronomy), San Antonio (Gastronomy), Santa Fe (Crafts and Folk Art) and Seattle (Literature). Each UNESCO Creative City Network member city must maintain active participation in the network through annual meetings, cooperative projects with other cities and by providing leadership on the use of creativity as a driver of sustainable urban development. Correction: host mentions iconic Kansas City music venue Hootie's Roost, located on 27th and Indiana. Hootie's Roost was actually located at the corner of 31st and Indiana, in Kansas City, MO. The structure is no longer there. Kansas City initiative UNESCO Cities of Music: Voyage of the Drum Introduction featuring Bird Ellington Fleming Voyage of the Drum Fête de la Musique The Kansas City Public Library: The Past, Present, and Future of Cultural Diplomacy and UNESCO, Former ambassador to UNESCO David Killion talks to Jacob Wagner, associate professor of Urban Planning + Design at UMKC International Day of Jazz, April 30th, 2026 celebrations in Kansas City: Jazz Day Relay Count Basie Band in the Music Hall host/producer/engineer:  Donna Morrow Wolfe