The Fall/Winter 2018 View from the Curb is now available online! Find out important information about programs for City of Kalamazoo residents such as Leaf Collection, Brush Collection, Hydrant Flushing, Recycling, and more! The most recent View from the Curb is always available at www.kalamazoocity.org/vfc.

The View from the Curb is published once for the Spring/Summer seasons and once for the Fall/Winter seasons each year. It is mailed to Kalamazoo residents and copies are available at City of Kalamazoo offices. 

City of Kalamazoo and Local Initiatives Support Corporation are seeking a full-time AmeriCorps member to serve as a Neighborhood Projects Coordinator. The candidate will ideally begin service on October 1, 2018 and serve a minimum of 1700 hours though the end of his/her term on July 31, 2019. The exact start and end date is confirmed by the Member Agreement of Participation. The individual selected to serve is not considered to be an employee of City of Kalamazoo or LISC.

The AmeriCorps member will be responsible for:

• Organizing Imagine Kalamazoo projects
• Assist City Planner and Neighborhood Activator with project coordination for WMU and K College service learning projects
• Coordination of and outreach for neighborhood meetings in conjunction with the Neighborhood Activator
• Assist Staff with public engagement planning

Complete details are available here:  pdf AmeriCorps Member Service Opportunity Details (54 KB)  

To apply, please send resume and cover letter o Christina Anderson, City Planner, City of Kalamazoo: 415 Stockbridge Avenue, Kalamazoo, MI 49001 or by email to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

The Imagine Kalamazoo 2025 Master Plan will be awarded the Daniel Burnham Award for a Comprehensive Plan by the Michigan Association of Planning (MAP/APA Michigan) at its annual conference, Planning Michigan, on September 20 at the Amway Grand Hotel in Grand Rapids, Michigan.

The Daniel Burnham Award for a Comprehensive Plan is presented annually to plans that advance the art and science of planning. The award is named for Daniel Burnham, one of the nation’s most renowned urban planners. 

“Imagine Kalamazoo truly was all about our community, and we are incredibly grateful to all of the community members that took time from their already busy lives to share their ideas,” said Rebekah Kik, Community Planning & Economic Development Director for the City of Kalamazoo. “The Imagine Kalamazoo 2025 plan is these ideas.”

The Michigan Association of Planning jury noted that the community support for Imagine Kalamazoo is evident; commenting that “the ability to move right into implementation provides proof that this plan is supported by the community and its leaders.”

In addition to the Daniel Burnham Award, the Imagine Kalamazoo planning effort and project leadership will be recognized with two additional awards. A partnership with students from Michigan State University’s Planning Practicum Class will be recognized with the Outstanding Undergraduate Student Project Award. Starting in January 2018, these students have helped to craft a neighborhood plan for Kalamazoo’s Vine Neighborhood by providing high quality analysis of neighborhood issues and creating comprehensive goals for the neighborhood. Kalamazoo City Planner Christina Anderson will be recognized with the Leadership Award for a Professional Planner. Christina served as a consultant to the Imagine Kalamazoo 2025 planning effort before being named City Planner in 2017.

About Imagine Kalamazoo 2025

Over a 16 month period from 2015-2017, City staff led a collaborative process to identify Kalamazoo’s community priorities and create a new Strategic Vision and Master Plan. Throughout the process there were more than 4,000 points of contact total including “Meeting on the Go” participants, survey respondents, online engagements, living wall and graffiti wall comments, and community meeting participants.

The resulting Imagine Kalamazoo 2025 Strategic Vision and Master Plan were approved by the City Commission in 2017, and will guide all future plans and decisions for the City for the next 10 years. The IK2025 Master Plan imagines a future for Kalamazoo where diversity is embraced, everyone has the opportunity to prosper, residents can easily and safely move through the City, and the quality of life is enhanced for all.