KALAMAZOO, MI (WKZO AM/FM) – The City of Kalamazoo is stilling looking for community members to review and comment on the draft Imagine Kalamazoo 2035 Strategic Vision, a community-developed framework that they say will guide city priorities, services, and investments over the next decade.
The draft is available at www.kalamazoocity.org/imaginekalamazoo, where comments can be submitted through Wednesday, September 30, 2026.
City officials say the draft envisions neighborhoods supported by sustainable, responsive, and accessible services that bring people together at every stage of life. Its eight goals address housing; transportation; economic vitality; the environment; youth and family; community trust and safety; arts, culture, and placemaking; and effective city operations.
Five guiding principles apply across those goals: continuous engagement; diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility; economic mobility; operational excellence; and sustainability. This approach reflects community feedback that these priorities should guide all City work.
Following staff preparation in early 2024, community visioning began that fall. The process recorded more than 5,000 contributions, including 1,476 completed surveys, with some people participating in multiple ways. Neighborhood meetings, focus groups, open houses, Meeting on the Go activities, and pop-up events offered opportunities to contribute in schools, community centers, churches, and other familiar spaces. Community partners helped shape and host activities, while Western Michigan University’s Evaluation Lab supported engagement and feedback analysis.
The draft Strategic Vision will be presented to the Planning Commission Thursday, October 1. Following review of public feedback and preparation of a final draft, the City Commission is expected to review and consider it for approval Monday, October 19.
After approval of the Strategic Vision, work will continue to finalize the Master Plan, which is expected to be presented for adoption in the first quarter of 2027.
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