Welcome to Blume
We’re excited to share an approach to live/work that has created vibrant communities around the world, but is new to Kansas City.
At Blume, you can lease your home, your office, or both in one of our vertical mixed-use townhomes with work space on the ground floor and your home above. The concept was inspired by sister-cities in Europe, where families ran storefront businesses on the ground floor and lived above. Blume Shawnee is now leasing commercial and/or residential units and Blume North Kansas City is breaking ground in the fall of 2023.
What is a VMU Townhome?
Short for vertical mixed-use, this type of development is a tale as old as time. Nearly.
VMU development allows for a combination of different uses within the same building. Typically, the lower floors contain commercial businesses while the upper floors are reserved for private uses, in this case, living.
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In the U.S., walkable development patterns are significantly lacking and in some cases missing entirely, therefore, development is more spread out and typically designed for car owners.
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However, in other parts of the world with higher density, especially Europe, VMU townhomes are much more common.
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The concept encourages human connection, walkability, lively streets, and can create economic benefits for both owners and renters.