The tiny urban island of downtown Detroit, lost in the wide open spaces of a depopulated city

UK Daily Mail ^ | December 16, 2014 | Wills Robinson

[C19fan]

n 1950, Detroit was America's fifth largest city and one of the most prosperous on the back of its booming motor industry. It prompted the construction of skyscrapers on the banks of the river and the development of vast suburban housing projects in the surrounding areas. But almost 55 years on, a dwindling motor industry and a dramatic fall in blue collar jobs has caused people to leave the Michigan city, abandoning their homes and businesses. These aerial photos reveal the tiny urban island that is left - a clutter of high-rises surrounded by empty housing plots now covered in grass. There are vast areas of open spaces dotted with crumbling industrial buildings and barely-standing Victorian homes until you reach the upmarket suburbs. The land then fills up with gated communities and huge estates complete with swimming pools, tennis courts and multi-car garages.

[cyclotic]

My suggestion is to fence off large areas, rent them to the military for urban warfare training and fire departments. Make some money, let them do most of the demo, then just finish the job off using the rent to pay for demo.

[M1903A1]

Do you know the name and the journal it appeared in? I'd love to read it.

Sadly, I've had the same thought regarding Detriot and Rome.

[M1903A1]

There are. Unfortunately, many of the ones I’ve seen are asking the wrong questions...”how do we stabilize and bring it back” instead of “how do we wind down a city that has outlived its purpose”.

[pierrem15]

Here's one of them: link

This isn't the one I read but it probably cites it.

[fieldmarshaldj]

*ping*

[trisham]

This is stunning. There is still some beautiful architecture there. What a shame.

[cripplecreek]

Lots of good stuff going on in Detroit for anybody willing to look. A lot of big money flowing into Detroit as things grow more expensive in east coast cities and Chicago.

Downtown is run less and less by the city council and more and more by the businesses that are moving there. For instance, take a look at the downtown properties Dan Gilbert owns. The red rectangle is the site of the new Red wings arena and sports district.



There has been a big hotel firm out of Texas looking at the riverfront sites that creditors got in the bankruptcy deal.

[cripplecreek]

The writer of the article is an idiot who just tells people what they want to believe. Fortunately the big money ignores these articles and invests in good deals.

For instance, the article shows the Packard plant in decay but doesn't bother to mention the fact that it has been sold, taxes paid, and cleanup begun in preparation of a half billion dollar renovation.

Texas investors pay $2.5M for Detroit storage building

A 119,000-square-foot industrial warehouse building at 5757 Trumbull St. north of I-94 in Detroit has been sold to the pair of out-of-state investors who are planning a loft-style multifamily residential development in the New Center area.

There are plenty of bad neighborhoods in Detroit but the article doesn't mention the good neighborhoods that are getting even better. Mexicantown is attracting a lot of the new tech workers from NY and Boston. The same is true of places like Corktown, Briggs, and Greektown.

Detroit's David Whitney Building facade lighting commemorates its redevelopment

Numbers show Metro Detroit is making progress

Detroit Chamber reports region’s GDP up 14% last 5yrs, 2nd only to Dallas; 150,000 new priv sector jobs

You Might Be Living In The Next Silicon Valley (Detroit ranks 3rd)

MSN's 15 Hottest American Cities For 2015 Are...(detroit ranks 7th)

Dan Gilbert's Detroit makeover is the most ambitious HR project in the US

The fact is that a lot of big money was watching for the bankruptcy proceedings to end and now that it has, they're rushing in to fill the vacuum. As far as people are concerned, a lot of young conservatives and libertarians have come running because its like an urban wild west with more personal freedom than you'll find in any other city in the country. They're walking into downtown restaurants because they can.

MI: Detroit Open Carry, Hip and Cool

I can guarantee that conservatives can give up on ever winning again unless they get over our love of a whipping boy. One thing Reagan was not was self righteous.

[trisham]

That is very good news!

[Carry_Okie]

No rush hour traffic, lots of parking, plenty of room for a yard, even a greenbelt!!! It's SUSTAINABLE (cuz it needs sustaining...)

Call it "urban sprawl."

[Carry_Okie]

Lot of buried pipes in that photograph. Looks like they need to rip the whole thing with a D-10.

I'll bet the soil is good if they can get enough glass out of it.

[gogeo]

London papers contain more news than American media...

Any guesses why the LSM is dying?

[gogeo]

Population down 2/3rds in fifty-five years...

Take that, whipping boy...