Kalamazoo embraces preapproved plans, zoning reform to turn vacant lots into homes

WMUK | By Julie J. Riddle

Published April 15, 2025 at 9:15 AM EDT

Kalamazoo resident Kimberly Whittaker poses outside the home she moved into in July. The home was one of 48 built via the city’s collaboration with Kalamazoo Neighborhood Housing Services, the Home Builders Association of Western Michigan, and the Local Initiatives Support Corporation.

The city began overhauling its zoning and code, consulting with neighborhoods along the way. After more than five years of work, the city has adjusted its zoning requirements to open most city residential lots to new home construction.

KALAMAZOO ― Kalamazoo zoning ordinances kept people from building homes on vacant lots in the city’s historic neighborhoods. So city leaders changed the rules.

Now, anyone interested in building on those lots can gain easy access to a fistful of permits and the professionally created plans of a house guaranteed to sail through the building process.

What’s more, the city figured out how to use its lots to not only increase housing, but increase it exponentially via multifamily residences designed to fit the character and needs of the city’s neighborhoods.

This story is part of Southwest Michigan Journalism Collaborative’s coverage of quality-of-life issues and equitable community development. SWMJC is a group of 12 regional organizations dedicated to strengthening local journalism.