I recently visited my hometown of Detroit and I was pleasantly surprised by what's going on there. With all the recent negative press around the auto industry, the mayor scandal and a dilapidated economy I was expecting a city on the verge of death. I actually experienced quit the opposite, the downtown had vibrancy, projects that have been in the works for years are finally complete. The DIA and it's glorious collection that puts most museums to shame.
Instead of a dying city, I would say it's a city in transition, experiencing major growing pains. Once the dust settles, after the Mayor has been removed from office, when the auto industry loosens it's choke hold on the city, and once the economy hits an upswing I think new business and industry will flood the city. This transition will be the best thing to happen to Detroit possibly since the dawn of the auto industry. Very similar to what Pittsburgh experienced with the flight of the steel industry, after a few decades of transition Pittsburgh is diverse with bio and tech industry and still some steel.
With one of the best airports in the country, cheap housing, cheap plentiful office space, plenty of room for development, a rich history, tons of diversity and culture combined with a well educated population, all the ingredients are in place for the turnaround story of the decade.
Detroit is down but definitely not out, I look forward to my next visit and I recommend a visit to anyone that's never experienced this great American city!
I'm glad to hear that. :) It's not often you get visitors saying fine things like that - but you're right, once the dust settles, we'll be better than new.
The thing that will be hardest, won't be the economic hurdles, but the social ones. Getting people to think about life in Detroit differently, stop the whining, and help make some change.
Posted by: Noel Jackson | 08/10/2008 at 09:31 PM