Detroit Followup
I have done some research into the redevelopment efforts of Detroit. There is a lot going on in the works to redevelop downtown, which is starting to filter into outlying neighborhoods. There have been millions of dollars spent over the last decade redeveloping downtown, and the riverfront district. This includes new corporate headquarters for Quicken Loans, loft projects, and new retail and businesses. This has begun to spill over into other adjacent neighborhoods. Midtown in particular is seeing a renessaince with several new single family and townhome communities being built. What is more, most of it is being done using the existing infrastructure and street networks, which is important. The new buildings and neighborhoods are being incorporated into the existing neighborhoods. ModelD has a wealth of information on what is going on in Detroit. There are also organizations that are working with residents to create urban gardens, becoming somewhat sustainable.
Of course, a lot of this was going on prior to the economic collapse of late 2008, and in particular the auto industry which Detroit is heavily reliant on. And all is not rosy either. There are debates going on about whether abandoned buildings should be razed as noted in the article, Cleaning Detroit up, don’t demolish its gems. There are also claims of corruption within city politics, and a government culture of getting in the way and heavy bureaucracy, and the high crime rate.
This is encouraging for Detroit, but the downsizing of the automobile companies is sure to have a profound impact on Detroit, and will likely derail any initiative to redevelop that was going on, particularly with the collapse of real estate prices. On the other hand, cheap real estate might encourage people to move to Detroit. These are people who arn’t reliant on a local company for employment. Of course, the same can be said for many communities.
While I haven’t had an interest in visiting Detroit in the past, I do now, to satisfy my own curiosity.
