Evaluating downtown Kzoo

1. The first thing I notice about downtown Kalamazoo is the architecture. It is a strange mix of older, more "typical" business buildings (brick, stone, iron, and window-shopping-friendly store fronts) and more contemporary buildings (like the huge, modern-looking mostly-windowed Radisson hotel or the Epic arts centre, constructed of metal and glass panels). The first place we explored, the mall on Burdick, is a one-way street (north to south) paved with brick both in the street and on the sidewalk. It is a very pretty street, focusing more on walking space with minimal parking along the edges of the driveway; it is not very functional for cars (as Mike memorably put it: "It looks like someone made a mistake"). The street is lined with businesses and storefronts, each one quite different looking to suit the style of the store or service inside. Along the thick, pedestrian-friendly sidewalks, there are benches and plenty of plants and trash cans/ashtrays and cigarette receptacles. In some areas along the mall, you can find sculptures or advertisements.

2. The driving in the downtown area is very difficult for people unfamiliar to the area, and can be frustrating even if you know the layout of the one-ways. Downtown also doesn't feel particularly safe, since there is no real security that can be consistently seen. The parks are much less attractive when the fountains don't work and there is graffiti on the ampitheatres.

3. The section I selected is the entire section about window shopping in Whyte's "City." It was interesting to me to look at the windows in downtown Kalamazoo, which are very conducive to window shopping in both older and newer buildings. Whyte claims that window shopping seems to be a dying phenomena, but in Kalamazoo I don't find this applicable. In NYC, according to Whyte's studies, windows and doors are becoming smaller, difficult to see through, or completely unnecessary. However, in Kalamazoo I found both old and new stores to be window-shopper-friendly; there is a huge bank of windows at the main entrance for the mall which shows off women's clothing etc., and the newest buildings - again, the Radisson and the Epic - contain stores and restaurants whose insides are clearly visible through windows (Most notably the mess of toys and games available at the Nature Connection in the Epic Center). I feel this has been maintained in Kalamazoo because of its desire to be a largely pedestrian area.