IMAGINE: The Future of Grand Rapids

The April 30 edition of CNU's Public Square highlights grassroots efforts in Grand Rapids to reimagine and rethink the US-131 highway. The group, IMAGINE: The Future of Grand Rapids, is made up of local urbanists, environmental champions, health care professionals, and social justice advocates. This citizen-driven initiative has teamed up with Strong Towns GR to advocate for a boulevard to replace the antiquated elevated highway.

The local campaign has created a variety of assets to inspire the community to look beyond highway expansion and envision the kind of community they might like to see. They have developed a detailed “master” document and prepared a “vision” document illustrating a potential green, low-speed boulevard with plans, aerial views, and details, and how it can benefit the community. They have also developed a large-scale 3D model of much of downtown Grand Rapids and the affected communities, illustrating a possible vision for what the future of US-131 could look like as a boulevard. 

As the Michigan Department of Transportation continues to study the corridor, it is imperitive that a more holistic approach is taken - one that considers and prioritizes factors such as health, community, economic development, affordable housing, livability, the environment and equity, over simply efficiently moving cars and trucks through the city.

This initiative provides a framework to begin that dialogue.