KALAMAZOO, Mich. (WOOD) — Kalamazoo leaders on Monday presented a draft of the Imagine Kalamazoo 2025 strategic plan to the city commission to get feedback before the plan is implemented.
“It is certainly the start of something big in Kalamazoo,” City Manager Jim Ritsema said. “Together, everything is pushing towards the same goal, which are the goals established by Imagine Kalamazoo.”
The Imagine Kalamazoo 2025 plan was presented to the city commission June 19, 2017.
The vision for the city includes 10 specific goals, including:
- Shared prosperity
- A connected city
- Inviting public places
- Environmental responsibility
- A safe community
- Youth development
- Complete neighborhoods
- Strength through diversity
- Economic vitality
- Good governance
City leaders will look to the plan and those goals to help guide and shape city projects, policies and partnerships.
“That’s going to be the framework of what this is built on,” Ritsema said.
City leaders say they didn’t just sit back and wait for people to comment on the strategic plan. Instead, they took to the streets to learn what people wanted.
“Our community planning and development folks reached out in different ways that have not been used before to get resident input,” Ritsema explained. “Going out into the community versus calling people to a regular meeting or a town hall.”
Ritsema said the plan is all about making Kalamazoo the best place to live.
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