IK2035 Design It! Phase Will Turn Community Vision into Action

The City of Kalamazoo is launching the Design It! phase of Imagine Kalamazoo 2035, marking a key step in transforming the community’s shared vision for the future into concrete plans and strategies. 

Design It! builds directly on a year of community engagement through the Imagine It! and Plan It! phases, during which thousands of residents shared ideas, priorities, and hopes for Kalamazoo’s future. That input is currently being compiled into a Draft Strategic Vision, which outlines what the community has said it wants Kalamazoo to become. The Strategic Vision will be shared for community review and presented to City Commission in early 2026. 

While the Strategic Vision defines the destination, Design It! focuses on the journey. 

“The Design It! phase is where vision becomes action,” said City Commissioner Alonzo Wilson. “This is our opportunity to work side-by-side with residents to identify the real, practical steps needed to bring the community’s vision to life. This phase is especially important for anyone who wants to help shape how that vision is carried out in neighborhoods across Kalamazoo.” 

Design It! Will feature more than a dozen open house-style neighborhood meetings held in neighborhoods across the city from mid-January through early March. Residents are invited to drop in at their convenience to participate in hands-on, interactive activities facilitated by City staff. There won’t be formal presentations at these meetings. 

Conversations will focus on how priorities like housing, streets, parks, transportation, businesses, and neighborhood spaces can translate into strategies and design concepts that will inform the City’s Master Plan. 

The Master Plan is the action-oriented counterpart to the Strategic Vision. While the Strategic Vision captures what the community wants for the future, the Master Plan identifies the specific actions, investments, and policies needed to make that vision a reality, using detailed, place-based input gathered during the Design It! Phase. 

Design It! Meeting Schedule 

Edison 
Friday, January 16, 5:30–7:30 p.m. 
Washington Writers Academy (Cafeteria), 1919 Portage Street 

Burke Acres 
Tuesday, January 20, 5:30–7:30 p.m. 
New Life Fellowship Church, 1912 Birch Avenue 

Westnedge, South Westnedge, and Southside 
Wednesday, January 28, 6–8 p.m. 
Girl Scouts Heart of Michigan, Purple & Blue Rooms, 601 W Maple Street 

Oakland Drive/Winchell 
Friday, January 30, 6:30–8:30 p.m. 
Winchell Elementary School (Gym), 2316 Winchell Avenue 

Vine 
Wednesday, February 4, 5:30–7:30 p.m. 
Community Education Center/Chenery Auditorium, Reception Room 
(use Dutton Street entrance), 714 S Westnedge Ave 

Stuart & Douglas 
Thursday, February 5, 6–8 p.m. 
Woodward Elementary (Gym/Cafeteria), 606 Stuart Avenue 

Milwood 
Tuesday, February 10, 5:30–7:30 p.m. 
Milwood Magnet School (Cafeteria), 2916 Konkle Street 

Arcadia & Westwood 
Wednesday, February 11, 7–8:30 p.m. 
Arcadia Elementary (Cafeteria), 932 Boswell Lane 

Oakwood 
Thursday, February 19, 5:30–7:30 p.m. 
Community of Christ, 2523 Amherst Avenue 

Parkview Hills, Colony Farms, & Hill n Brook 
Wednesday, February 25, 5–7 p.m. 
Parkview Hills Clubhouse, 3707 Greenleaf Circle 

Northside 
Thursday, February 26, 6–8 p.m. 
Northside Association Community Development, 612 N Park Street 

West Main Hill 
Wednesday, March 4, 7–9 p.m. 
Hicks Center, Banquet Room, 1200 Academy Street 

Additional meetings for other neighborhoods are still being scheduled. A large citywide downtown event will also be held at the conclusion of the Design It! phase later this spring. 

The Design It! phase builds on the voices of residents who have already participated and invites even more people into the process. Input gathered during these meetings will directly shape the City’s Master Plan and influence decisions that affect Kalamazoo neighborhoods for years to come. 

Online engagement opportunities will also be shared later in January, offering additional ways for residents to participate. 

“Bringing the community’s vision to life is a shared effort,” said Commissioner Wilson. “By participating in this phase, residents are helping shape the Master Plan that will guide projects, programs, and decisions across Kalamazoo for the next decade. We’re grateful to everyone who takes the time to share their perspective and be a partner in this work.” 

For more information about Imagine Kalamazoo 2035 and upcoming Design It! events, visit www.kalamazoocity.org/IK2035 or follow the City of Kalamazoo on social media.