Kalamazoo’s Vine and and Northside neighborhoods are located adjacent to the region’s growing downtown and as such have experienced some growth in recent years. This change has necessitated the need for a community activation strategy that would continue to grow demand for these communities while also ensuring that their unique identities, history and culture are not lost with growing development pressure. The City of Kalamazoo commissioned YARD & Company to work directly with the neighborhood resident and business councils to design and brand regular activations that did just that. Over a three-month process the communities collaborated to design inclusive spaces built to bring people together and shape future development outcomes for years to come.