8.1

Revitalization for the New Detroit

Erika Campbell

Intro/Overview:

The discussion in chapter five surrounding the shared history of Detroit and Chicago,

and Chicago’s divergence and comeback as a post-Fordist city explored only briefly the steps

that could be taken towards Detroit’s own revitalization. It also did not take into account the

current actions being carried out as Detroit once again tries to compete on a national-and maybe

even international- scale. This chapter is meant to look more closely at what lessons can be

learned from Chicago, and to examine more in-depth the efforts already being made to revitalize

Detroit.

Current Revitalization Efforts:

During her recent visit to Michigan State University1, Dr. June Thomas of the Taubman

College of Architecture and Planning at University of Michigan discussed the growing

prevalence of the 7.2 square miles considered Greater Downtown Detroit. The placement of the

Detroit Institute of Arts, Ford Field, Wayne State University, and the Medical Complex are all

indicators of the past and present investment in the downtown area. Creating a cultural center

within Downtown Detroit is increasingly attracting young, educated people who see Detroit as an

opportunity to gain the urban experience for a far cheaper price than Manhattan or even

downtown Chicago. With Dan Gilbert’s private investing2, Downtown Detroit is growing faster

and faster. And as Dr. Thomas noted, this is beginning to affect the areas surrounding the

1 Thomas, June. "The History of Planning in Detroit." James Madison College. East Lansing. 11 Apr. 2016. Address.

2 "Gilberville: A Billionaire's Drive to Rebuild the Motor City." Forbes 20 Oct. 2014. Print.

8.2

downtown area. Brush Park, once debilitated old mansions on the outskirts of downtown, now

has houses worth more than $1 million. By all appearances, it seems that Detroit’s revitalization

is finally underway and has no signs of stopping.

While I agree that revitalization in downtown, the attraction of young and educated

people, and the reverberations this is causing are all positive markers of change, I would like to

challenge the idea that this is Detroit’s saving grace. The fact of the matter is, revitalization has

not occurred in many places throughout Detroit, such as Brightmoor neighborhood, where blight

is still the most noticeable aspect. Additionally, the formation of a creative corridor within

downtown and the attraction of tourists and young people to Downtown has arguably created a

new type of segregation within Detroit. The idea of revitalized downtown Detroit “as a tourist

city”3 has separated Detroit into the “safe vs. unsafe”, “developed vs. undeveloped”, and “white

vs. black”. While young, white newcomers increasingly stay in downtown; African American,

life-long Detroiters are left on the outside looking in. Therefore, the cultural and touristic

attractions that young newcomers enjoy are not the businesses that long-time residents of Detroit

can even think about accessing-both economically and without a public transport to get them

there.

Chicago: Lessons Learned

Chicago’s comeback after post-industrial decline (discussed in chapter five) was due in

large part to its savvy in navigating the newly globalized economy. As I mentioned in chapter

five, I have reservations about the “solution” of globalization in the context of Detroit. However,

I believe that it is possible to learn from Chicago an important lesson in balancing the spoils of

globalization with the care of regional prioritization. Many of Chicago’s greatest accolades come

3 Eisinger, Peter. "Reimagining Detroit." Wayne State University Press . Print.

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from institutions and ideas that have an important mixture of both global competitiveness and

local benefit. The three that I would like to discuss in relation to Detroit’s revitalization are

universities, the building of a creative class, and public transportation.

Education for the Future

The “global” scale with which Chicago Universities are regarded is one of the greatest

ways in which a city can mix both globalization and regional interests for the betterment of a

city. Detroit’s continual investment in Wayne State University is valuable for several reasons.

First, the amount of both high and low-skilled jobs a university brings to an area allows for

sustainable job opportunity for long-time Detroiters. Second, the University attracts young (and

recently educated) people into Detroit where they can ideally become contributing citizens of the

city. These economic and social advantages are important not only for the reasons listed above,

but also for the sake of sustainability. So long as a university exists and attracts students, jobs

can be provided for all skill levels and young people can see what the city of Detroit has to offer.

Creative Class

If there is one thing that attracts tourist and young people to Chicago year after year, it is

the opportunity to have the “urban experience”. This experience is most often marked by creative

class activities such as art galleries, theatres, and restaurants offering a unique experience within

the city. In this context, I reference only the economic aspect of Richard Florida’s creative class,

particularly the “talent and technology”4 brought to a region by creative class activity. Chicago’s

Downtown has largely filled that role in its history, but throughout the city one can find traces of

the creative class. Midtown and Downtown’s presence as homes to Detroit’s own creative class

has grown significantly in recent years. Coffee shops, craft beer businesses, and ethnic

restaurants have all become staples of the Downtown Detroit experience. Old staples in

4 Stolarick, Kevin. "Over of Creative Class and the "3Ts" ." Toronto. 21 Oct. 2008. Web. 2 May 2016.

8.4

Downtown such as the Detroit Institute of Arts, Fox Theatre, and Detroit Institute of Art signifies

the importance that has always been placed on the cultural and creative class. More recently, the

Detroit Creative Corridor Center (DC3)5 has arisen to advocate for the creative industries that are

growing in Detroit, in order to “elevate the economic output and social impact of Detroit’s

creative economy”. State efforts at attracting people to Detroit has also began to reflect the

creative class as a cornerstone of the city experience. The most recent “pure Michigan”6

campaign commercial shows the state’s newfound interest in marketing Detroit as a vibrant

creative city. This includes shots of artists painting murals, craft “Detroit-made” beers, and an art

show. Clearly, the creative class is an economic and social advantage Detroit must take

advantage of to become a competitive city.

Comprehensive Public Transportation

By this point it may have been noted that the solutions presented by studying Chicago are

present in Detroit, but only in the Downtown area. Wayne State University and the presence of

the creative scene in Detroit are both heavily segregated in the downtown and midtown areas. As

has been discussed previously, this leaves many Detroiters isolated and segregated from jobs and

recreational activities that could otherwise be theirs. The solution to this issue of Detroit as a city

revitalized but separated can be found in the development of city-wide public transportation.

The Chicago Transportation Authority (CTA)7 website is a system of buses and trains to

assist residents and tourists alike in navigating the city, with “plan a trip” tools to make public

transportation simpler. In stark contrast, the City of Detroit website’s transportation section

5 DetroitC3. N.p., n.d. Web. 23 Apr. 2016. <http://detroitc3.com/about-dc3/>.

6 Pure Michigan. Advertisement. YouTube. N.p., 10 Apr. 2016. Web. 27 Apr. 2016. <https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xGS2Yt_59pg>.

7 http://www.transitchicago.com/

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contains a system of only 39 bus routes (and no trains or rails) to serve all of Detroit and its

surrounding areas. In addition to this, in 2010 73%8 of workers reported driving alone to work.

Clearly, Detroit public transportation needs overhaul. While efforts are being made to improve

Detroit’s M-1 rail (renamed the “Q-Line” after Dan Gilbert’s Quicken Loans)9, the streetcar

system runs only 3.3 miles around the Downtown area, and it nowhere close to serving all

Detroiters, nor those in the metropolitan area who commute to work each day. This

disadvantages Detroiters and suburbanites alike, who cannot access the opportunities of the

downtown area.

Political Involvement

It is true that the city of Detroit cannot possibly foot the bill for a plan such as this alone.

Financially, it is a large undertaking, and one that would benefit both Detroiters and commuting

suburbanites alike. I would like to suggest that a regional cooperation can be reached to benefit

both the city of Detroit and the Metropolitan Statistical Area. Just as with the Detroit Institute of

Arts, suburbanites could pay a regional tax10 in order to enjoy access to the new public

transportation. The Southeast Michigan Council of Governments (SEMCOG) must make more

concerted efforts to see this through, to give the city the financial support and political clout that

suburbanites currently hold. The creative class and university job opportunities are chances for

Detroit and its citizens to become revitalized once again. However, to make these advantageous

options viable for Detroiters., public transportation must be invested in and expanded far beyond

the 7.2 square miles.

Conclusion8 "City of Detroit Community Profile ." SEMCOG, 2010. Web. 28 Apr. 2016.9 Tobin, Sean N. Detroit’s M-1 Rail Serves Corporations, Not People. Progress Michigan, 30 Mar. 2016. Web. 14 Apr. 2016. <http://www.progressmichigan.org/2016/03/detroits-m-1-rail-serves-corporations-not-people/>.10 Kampe, Paul. "Detroit Institute of Arts Marks One Million Visitors Since Passage of Regional Tax." Oakland Press News 2 Feb. 2016. Web. 2 May 2016. <http://www.theoaklandpress.com/general-news/20160202/detroit-institute-of-arts-marks-one-million-visitors-since-passage-of-regional-tax>.

8.6

Detroit’s renewal in the post-recession era has been anything but easy. Incredible actions

are being taken to attract tourists and young people to the Downtown area, where the university

and creative class create an authentic urban experience. However, those making revitalization

efforts must not believe that Detroit is a blank slate. Many Detroiters who have spent their lives

in the city are unable to access the economic and cultural opportunities presented by downtown

revitalization, and while downtown enjoys the spoils of private investment, many are left outside

of these advantages. Therefore, it is necessary that the city of Detroit, SEMCOG, and private

investors take a vested interest in the future of the city’s public transportation, for the sake of all

who wish to see Detroit once again become a national competitor.

Bibliography

"City of Detroit Community Profile ." SEMCOG, 2010. Web. 28 Apr. 2016.

DetroitC3. N.p., n.d. Web. 23 Apr. 2016. <http://detroitc3.com/about-dc3/>.

Eisinger, Peter. "Reimagining Detroit." Wayne State University Press . Print.

8.7

"Gilbertville: A Billionaire's Drive to Rebuild the Motor City." Forbes 20 Oct. 2014. Print.

Kampe, Paul. "Detroit Institute of Arts Marks One Million Visitors Since Passage of Regional

Tax." Oakland Press News 2 Feb. 2016. Web. 2 May 2016.

<http://www.theoaklandpress.com/general-news/20160202/detroit-institute-of-arts-

marks-one-million-visitors-since-passage-of-regional-tax>.

Pure Michigan. Advertisement. YouTube. N.p., 10 Apr. 2016. Web. 27 Apr. 2016.

<https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xGS2Yt_59pg>.

Stolarick, Kevin. "Over of Creative Class and the "3Ts" ." Toronto. 21 Oct. 2008. Web. 2 May

2016.

Thomas, June. "The History of Planning in Detroit." James Madison College. East Lansing. 11

Apr. 2016. Address.

Tobin, Sean N. Detroit’s M-1 Rail Serves Corporations, Not People. Progress Michigan, 30 Mar.

2016. Web. 14 Apr. 2016. <http://www.progressmichigan.org/2016/03/detroits-m-1-rail-

serves-corporations-not-people/>.

http://www.transitchicago.com/