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Old Posted Apr 14, 2017, 3:17 PM
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The North One The North One is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by deja vu View Post
I think whoever wrote 'grocery store' must have meant that the 'lack of' grocery stores in the downtown area is a weakness. Panhandling is a hot topic in the city; it is discussed frequently, but not easily resolved. I'm often asked if I can spare some change by people who may or may not be homeless. The poverty rate in the city is hovering around 40%, about double the state average.

Are you referring to any projects in particular that are the antithesis of good urban planning? (genuinely curious)
I'm mostly referring to the development you posted with the giant parking podium, it's awful.

If the city wants a vibrant urban core it's gonna have to get a lot more serious than these aesthetic master plans that just end up looking cheap and gimmicky, although trees are important and should line as many streets as possible. How is public transit in the city? They should be focused on adding bus lines, what about biking infrastructure? The city should build some dedicated bike lanes. Universities and colleges should have campuses or a basic presence in the city center, start with community colleges in the area, this would be a double win with the Kalamazoo promise. Incentivize any new companies or growing companies to build their offices in the city center and build them near transit stops so they won't need as much parking. The city should push developers to build underground parking or at least provide better design alternatives like hiding parking in the back of a development. I feel like the city is trying to be Royal Oak 2.0 and failing at it.
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