Imagine Kalamazoo 2035 to Start At September 19 Open House

Published on September 09, 2024

Imagine Kalamazoo 2035, a community conversation to shape the City’s vision and work plans for the next ten years, will start on Thursday, September 19 with a community open house and presentation at the Kalamazoo Institute of Arts. The open house will start at 5 p.m. with the presentation starting at 6 p.m. The event will conclude at 7:30 p.m.

The open house will mark the beginning of an 18-month process to collaboratively plan for the next 10 years of progress in Kalamazoo. The result will be a new Strategic Vision and Master Plan that will guide the City’s work through 2035. Throughout the multi-phase process, City staff will be holding meetings, conducting surveys, speaking with focus groups, and attending events to connect with community members and listen to concerns, ideas, and visions for our future.

“What kind of city do you want to be in 2035?” asked Kalamazoo City Manager Jim Ritsema. “We want to answer that question together, and then envision how we're going to get there. We are going to be looking for everyone’s perspective during this process, so we hope everyone will take advantage of these opportunities and be a part of IK 2035.”

The process will be divided into five distinct phases: Imagine It!, Plan It!, Design It!, Draft It!, and Adopt It! Each will become more focused and specific as the process advances. Conversations will start at a very high level, reflecting on the previous plan, what has or hasn’t been accomplished, and Strategic Goals. Gradually discussion will move to specific goals and actions to achieve them, before finally the Strategic Vision and Master Plan documents are drafted and presented for review and approval.

Since the last Master Plan was completed in 2017, 99% of the projects and programs identified in the Imagine Kalamazoo 2025 (IK2025) Master Plan have been completed or are in progress. IK2025 also created a groundwork for more inclusive decision-making, leading to the adoption of a Public Participation Policy to use community feedback in project planning. The excitement around IK 2025 also helped lead to the alignment of the Foundation for Excellence, resulting in more than $100 million invested in the city since it was founded.

“The results of this plan will have a huge impact on the work that will happen in the city over the next 10 years," Ritsema continued. "Now is the time to have your voice heard and to be a part of Kalamazoo’s foundational 10-year plans.”

IK2025 was the City's largest and most inclusive planning process to date, and city staff hope to include even more voices in the 2035 process. Over the four phases of the project, community members will have the opportunity to attend in-person events and meetings, but people can also get involved in other ways like completing online surveys, reviewing and commenting on draft documents, or holding a “Meeting on the Go” (a casual and informal meeting hosted among friends or colleagues) in their social circles. More information on how to get involved will be available at www.kalamazoocity.org/IK2035 along with news and other resources.

“With Imagine Kalamazoo 2025 we started a new way of planning and a new way of investing in our community,” said Ritsema. “It showed us what we were able to accomplish when we bring more people to the table, and we’re excited to see what we can achieve in IK2035 if we can bring everyone to the table. We hope you’ll join us in this opportunity to be part of our city’s future.”