Happy & Healthy City Planning

The City of Kalamazoo is embarking on a new Strategic Vision for the future. What makes this particularly exciting to me is that this is a big deja vu moment. In 2010, I was working as a consultant at a firm in Denver, Colorado when we responded to a request for proposals to research and write a built environment policy that focused on healthy and active living. The non-profit was LiveWell Colorado, now Nourish Colorado, a wonderful advocacy group for healthy eating and active living policy work. This work set the stage for understanding the planning process as so much more than just a document that builds infrastructure or guides development regulation. Instead, this policy to guide planners imagined how people's lives were affected by the decisions that planners, engineers, and developers made.

What's a Happy and Healthy City?

At it's core, urban planning involves the development and design of land use in urban areas, focusing on the physical, social, and economic aspects of communities. It encompasses a range of activities, including zoning, transportation planning, and public space design. Effective urban planning aims to create sustainable, livable, and efficient environments for residents. When you include the wellbeing of residents, the elements of happy and healthy become important criteria for HOW a city is considered. The LiveWell built environment policy was ahead of it's time by a few years (2010) - and on it's heels was the Canadian author Charles Montgomery's research. Mr. Montgomery published Happy City in 2013, furthering the behavioral science and research behind how cities are built can affect community behavior and outcomes.

Key Components of Urban Planning (I've added Happiness!)

1. Land Use Planning: This involves determining how land will be used, including residential, commercial, and recreational spaces.

2. Transportation Planning: Ensuring efficient movement of people and goods through various modes of transport.

3. Environmental Planning: Addressing the impact of development on the natural environment and promoting sustainability.

4. Community Engagement: Involving residents in the planning process to ensure their needs and preferences are considered.

5. Happiness: Creating social connectivity through street design, building design, and where they intersect to create opportunity for community social context.

   
   

Happiness Ingredients

During Imagine Kalamazoo 2035 community engagement, city staff created a book club for community members to read Happy City. This helped to create a shared language around built environment components and ideas. During book club events staff facilitated over 1,000 readers and asked them what their idea of a happy and healthy city was. Their list of Happy (Kalamazoo) Ingredients are below:

Developing the Imagine Kalamazoo 2035

Utilizing the happiness ingredients, the city continued to engage community members to create eight strategic goal areas and outcomes for the community. We are currently in the third phase of our community engagement to source strategies for the outcomes. This is an incredible staff led effort that has already held 14 community meetings. Since our initial engagement, we have had exciting conversations and input from over 4,500 participants throughout the last 16 month process.

IK 2035 Strategic Vision Planning

The community has directed our efforts toward the formation of eight strategic goals and their corresponding outcomes. These are not too dissimilar from the IK 2025 strategic goals, but you will see how priority themes pulled some strong topics forward in new ways - such as housing and community trust and safety. Another significant change through the Happy City Ingredient analysis was how there are some principles that should be woven through every goal. These principles are above the strategic goals, guiding their outcomes and strategies.

Guiding Principles

• Continuous Engagement: Prioritizing meaningful engagement with residents and community members in decisions that affect their lives. This principle ensures community voice and partnership are considered during every stage of planning and implementation.

• Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Accessibility: Advancing diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility (DEIA) through planning, services, and decision-making. This ensures that every strategy considers who benefits and who may be left out.

• Economic Mobility: Expanding access to pathways that lead to stability, opportunity, and prosperity for all residents. This principle strengthens strategies by prioritizing pathways to opportunity for all residents.

• Operational Excellence: City services, amenities, and places that excel at compassionate customer service and delivery. This principle aligns our internal systems, customer service, and workforce culture so the City can deliver reliably and responsively.

• Sustainability: Supporting the long-term health and resiliency of community and environment. This principle reinforces long-term stewardship of our environment, infrastructure, and financial resources.

  
  
  
  

Strategic Vision Goals

The strategic vision goals translate Kalamazoo’s community vision into focused areas of action that guide how the city invests, collaborates, and measures progress over the next decade. Each goal represents an essential dimension of a happy, healthy, and thriving Kalamazoo—from safe neighborhoods and strong families to sustainable infrastructure, vibrant public spaces, and an innovative local economy. Together, these goals provide a roadmap for aligning City operations, community partnerships, and financial resources with what residents’ value most, ensuring that our collective efforts move us toward a more equitable, connected, and resilient future.

Embedded into each goal are the five guiding principles. Together, these principles elevate each strategic goal to provide a holistic approach to implementation. As each principle meets the goal, it also unites them all, as they are greater together than apart.

• Arts, Culture, and Placemaking: Vibrant public spaces, arts, and culture create belonging and vitality making Kalamazoo a regional destination.

• Community Trust and Safety: Everyone is safe and supported by the services they depend on and the community around them.

• Economic Vitality: A thriving business ecosystem that advances economic growth and equitable community wealth building.

• Effective City Operations: Ensure transparent, responsive and accountable City operations through internal collaboration, strategic resource management and consistent community engagement.

• Environment: A healthy environment sustains community well-being today and for generations to come.

• Housing: Accessible and affordable housing for all strengthens families, neighborhoods and community life.

• Transportation: Safe, connected travel supports year-round and equitable mobility for all travelers.

• Youth and Family: All young people and families have what they need to be healthy, to grow and to succeed.