Planners talk about how to create communities with soul

How a space should look and feel needs to come from within the community — not from traffic engineers, an urban planner told a group of city officials and others gathered to learn about creating communities with soul.

The Kalamazoo Gazette reports urban planning expert Fred Kent criticized the four-lane, one-way Michigan Avenue in downtown Kalamazoo and said jokingly he “wouldn’t come back here unless that’s changed.”

Excerpt:

After his presentation, Kent said his ideas weren’t just for big urban cities but could work for mid-size towns, such as Kalamazoo. The important part is creating destinations for residents, he said.

“A small town can be a very active place,” Kent said. “If you have something to do, people will come.”

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Source: Kalamazoo Gazette