Victor Gruen: The Man with a Plan

In the years following World War II, Kalamazoo, like many cities in the United States, was years behind on infrastructure projects. In the coming decades, in efforts to regain some of the eroding tax base due to suburbanization, Kalamazoo annexed surrounding areas, almost tripling the city in size. Even with that, downtown was slowly becoming less of a shopping destination. As new shopping centers popped up in areas like Portage Township, retail began to shift outside of the city center. With these concerns in mind, the city hired Victor Gruen Associates in 1957 to start studying the city, examining causes for the general decline in the city center and offering solutions to stop it.  What Gruen presented, the Kalamazoo 1980 plan, was introduced in March of 1958.

Often called the “Gruen Plan,” eight square blocks of Kalamazoo, as envisioned by Victor Gruen, would have multiple pedestrian malls, large expanses of parking lots, and a ring road encircling downtown. Renovated stores would be at the center, along with a heavy emphasis on walking and public gathering spaces. The plan was accepted by the city and, much to Gruen’s dismay, the city chose to push on with construction without hiring him for further guidance. The first project tackled was one of the proposed pedestrian malls, what we now know as the Kalamazoo Mall. In 1960, another block was dedicated, and East Walnut Street was widened as the first section of the boulevard ring road.

It became apparent after the initial push, however, that the plan was too ambitious and too costly for the city to undertake. Expense and objections from business owners were all combined with additional community concerns. The proposed ring road, meant to zip traffic into the city center, would cut off the North Side and East Side neighborhoods and, with a large portion of the African American population living in those areas, create a segregated downtown.  In the 1960s, sewers were expanded, parks and recreation areas were spruced up, and roads were given much-needed resurfacing and repaving. Park Street was widened, and the extensions of Park Street, Howard Street, and Parkview Avenue were either completed or had their rights-of-way secured. Development of new traffic routes created the downtown business loop. Early-built homes and industrial buildings were replaced with parking lots. While Gruen’s plan was not followed to the letter, his thoughts can still be seen downtown.

For more information, visit: 

https://kalamazoomuseum.org/images/museon/2009-Summer-MuseON-jumptojapan.pdf

https://kalamazoomuseum.org/images/museon/2018_summer_cats-dogs.pdf