THE PROBLEMS

The problems faced by Kalamazoo's central business district, indeed, have much to do with growth. Cities, like all living things, must adapt themselves to new and changing conditions. If certain portions do not grow with the times, they will either die or become a burden upon the remainder.

If Kalamazoo's downtown is to maintain its rightful place, it must meet the challenge of our changing times. It must realize that cities are no longer so small that we can easily walk to all parts of them. It should understand that use of public mass transportation is declining; that private automobiles have become more and more important; that movement to the suburbs forecasts new living habits.

REGIONAL TRADE AREA

Kalamazoo is a major economic center, sharing the South
Michigan trade region with Battle Creek and Grand
Rapids.

Kalamazoo's trade area is part of the rapidly developing
urban belt joining Detroit and Chicago.

It lies on U.S. 12, the spinal artery of this belt, and on
U.S. 131, a major north-south thoroughfare.

The city's regional sphere of influence is determined
primarily by four factors:

- The major settlement pattern

- Location and character of natural and man-made barriers

- The competitive influence of outlying facilities, and

- Access characteristics of the area

To reflect significant variations in the influence and
drawing power of Kalamazoo's central business district,
two zones, a primary and secondary, have been recog-
nized within the city's trade area.

The primary zone immediately surrounding Kalamazoo
contains the majority of the urban population and feels
the greatest impact of the central business district.

Surrounding this primary zone is the more distant secon-
dary zone which, although still influenced by central
business district facilities, feels their impact much less
than does the primary zone. This secondary zone con-
tains a predominately rural population.

Having determined the extent of both the primary and
secondary trade areas, we next estimated the income
available to the central business district facilities based
on income levels and expenditure patterns.

INTERNAL FACTORS

Shifting our gaze to the central core itself, let us first take inventory of this area's assets and liabilities. To do this we must discover where business is conducted now, and we must evaluate these present activities, considering their condition, size, and use.

Our detailed studies of present land use have shown a clear-cut occupancy pattern. Retail areas stretch out along Burdick Street and Michigan Avenue, with their geographical center somewhere between Michigan and South Street.

Extensive, pleasant green areas are concentrated around the civic and religious institutions bordering on Bronson Park; hospital and research facilities are conveniently grouped in the southeast corner of downtown. However, industrial, warehousing, and older residential buildings, many of them fast declining, surround, penetrate, and blight the core on all sides.

This pattern of land use is punctured by isolated and sometimes unrelated parking facilities. The pattern is further complicated and disrupted by major traffic arteries which compartmentalize the area, destroying its cohesiveness.

From the present downtown land use pattern, it is apparent that a reapportioning and consolidation of the major land uses is desirable and necessary to obtain an effective and smoothly functioning central business district.

It is not difficult to walk from one part of downtown to another—three, four, maybe five minutes at the most—even this time seems short because of the beautiful, pleasant environment and the excitement and diversions offered by the new surroundings.

For the handicapped or tired a frequently scheduled service of a small shuttle bus is maintained throughout the day. Rides are free and the gaily colored cars touch most parts of the downtown.

Our new plan integrates the central business district with the thoroughfare system of the region. Outlying areas have easy access at all times. The circulation system makes it possible for private cars to enter readily and for all public transportation to operate to full efficiency.

Buses can enter and leave at many points on pre-determined routes which best serve the changing public needs. The multitude of trucks and other service traffic approaches the central business district on specially designated lanes leading to pleasantly screened service yards. Only three interior blocks find it necessary to receive service across a pedestrian area. These are served when pedestrian use of the area is light—perhaps at night or early morning. Carefully located kiosks further help to reduce the visual disturbance of service vehicles that must enter during the day.

You notice that all of this new downtown Kalamazoo compares favorably with the most successful regional shopping centers—shopping centers where people frequently walk even greater distances than in Kalamazoo's new downtown area without complaint and under less favorable conditions.

NORTHLAND REGIONAL SHOPPING CENTER - RED

REVITALIZATION PROJECT
FOR THE CORE OF FRESNO, CALIFORNIA

This plan reflects measures for redirection and taming of automobile traffic in relation to the actual heart of the city (indicated in black in the small sketch in the left corner), the core frame and the core fringe. The freeway network surrounding the central area visualized as "an outer defense line." There is a second such defense line around the core fringe; finally, a loop road system around the heart of the city itself. Along the third one, all automobile traffic is stopped. The core of Fresno is reserved for pedestrian traffic only.

Fulton Way, one of the major pedestrian thoroughfares which is to be created on the basis of the revitalization plan. At the time of writing, plans for the conversion of the core into a pedestrian area are moving toward implementation.

Fulton Street before conversion into Fulton Way.