Kalamazoo, MI, is the latest city looking to

Kalamazoo, MI, is the latest city looking to employ New Urbanism to reinvigorate its riverfront. The city received a $2.8 million Clean Michigan Initiative Riverfront Redevelopment Grant from the state to renew the area. A preliminary plan, drawn up by Hamilton Anderson of Detroit, showcases new row houses, apartments, condominiums, single-family homes, retail business offices, light industry and parks. Although the river was declared a Superfund site years ago, developers don’t see its status as a hindrance to development. Notes Richard Goff, economic development director for the City of Kalamazoo, “A lot of strides have been made in cleaning up the river, and we’re proposing trailways and greenspace immediately along the river, which would actually be less intensive than current uses.”