City Commission Hears Update on Imagine Kalamazoo 2035
Published on September 19, 2025
Kalamazoo’s city leaders recently presented the draft strategic vision for Imagine Kalamazoo 2035, building on a decade of community-driven planning and the successes of Imagine Kalamazoo 2025. The presentation, delivered by Chief Operating Officer Laura Lam and Deputy City Manager Rebecca Kik, is now available to watch online.
COO Lam opened the presentation by reflecting on the lessons from Imagine Kalamazoo 2025. At that time, the city heard more than 4,000 community voices in creating a new master plan, which resulted in a fully completed plan and more than $50 million invested in aspirational projects. Highlights included:
- 700+ homes built, preserved, or rehabilitated
- More than 500 small businesses have been supported with $11 million in investment
- Thousands of youth benefited from free summer camps, enrichment programs, and employment opportunities
- Seven city parks have been revitalized, and over 1,000 trees have been planted
- 20+ miles of streets improved and 12 miles of sidewalks expanded
- 11+ neighborhood plans completed
This track record provides a foundation for the next decade of strategic planning and community engagement.
Imagine Kalamazoo 2035
The Imagine Kalamazoo 2035 process is already underway. The city has completed the Imagine It! and Plan It! phases, which included public meetings, surveys, roadshows, focus groups, and staff engagement. More than 4,300 community contacts have already contributed ideas and feedback.
Key priorities for the 2035 plan include:
- Deep staff engagement to align organizational purpose, values, and operational practices with community goals
- Blending community voices with data and national best practices to inform decision-making
- Iterative feedback loops to ensure the plan accurately reflects resident priorities
Draft Vision and Guiding Principles
The current working vision statement for 2035 is:
All Kalamazoo neighborhoods are supported by sustainable, responsive, and accessible services that lift people up and bring our community together at every stage of life.
Guiding principles include diversity, equity, inclusion & accessibility, economic mobility, sustainability, operational excellence, and continuous engagement. These principles are intended to weave through every initiative and decision over the next decade.
Staff values such as integrity, learning, inclusion, customer service, accountability, teamwork, and safety are also central to operationalizing this vision and ensuring successful implementation.
What’s Next
The next phase, called Design It!, will focus on turning this strategic vision into a full master plan, with clear strategies and measurable outcomes. The city will continue engaging the community and refining draft language to ensure that every resident’s voice is represented.
Residents and stakeholders can expect:
- Continued community engagement opportunities in the coming months
- Publication of the full strategic vision once the draft is finalized
- Progress updates on the design and implementation of specific projects tied to the vision
Watch the Presentation
The full Imagine Kalamazoo 2035 strategic vision presentation is available to watch online, providing an in-depth look at the process, vision, and guiding principles. Residents are encouraged to view the presentation and stay engaged as the city moves toward completing the 2035 master plan.
Imagine Kalamazoo 2035 Strategic Vision Draft Presentation Slides, September 2025(PDF, 575KB)