Land+Living: Detroit. Demolition. Disneyland.

Detroit. Demolition. Disneyland.
Category: Art
Posted by: James on 2/20/2006 1:33:00 PM | Digg | Stumble It! | del.icio.us
Derelict. Dilapidated. Discover. - Interventions in urban decay

Detroit is one of the most spectacular examples of boom and bust in the United States - once opulent and then blighted - this capital of the Rust Belt is one of the nation's fastest shrinking cities and prime example of the phenomenon of "white flight" and, subsequently, sprawl. Large numbers of buildings and homes have been abandoned and many have been torn down or have fallen down and cleared away. Yet many vacant buildings remain in various states of decay.

Preceding the recent Super Bowl held in Detroit, an anonymous group calling themselves the DDD Project (Detroit. Demolition. Disneyland.) began targeting highly visible abandoned structures for intervention. Marked with a circled "D" in chalk by the city for demolition by the city years prior, the DDD Project transformed the houses, creating highlights within a context of depression, with a coat of bright orange paint, covering every surface of the facade: "Every detail is accentuated through the unification of color. Broken windows become jagged lines. Peeling paint becomes texture."

Link: The Detroiter - Paint the Town Orange
Link: Michigan Radio - Urban Blight Gets a Paint Job

More: dETROIT fUNK - D.D.D.
More dETROIT fUNK - Tiggeriffic
More: hamtramck star
Via: Metafilter

Detroit's painful decline began in the 1950's, with the population cut nearly in half in 50 years with the loss of almost one million residents who moved to the suburbs. Urban decay followed along with crime and racial tensions. Vandalism and arson became common place in the deserted neighborhoods, especially on "Devil's Night" before Halloween.

BLOCKS OF DESERTED NEIGHBORHOODS ON THE EDGE OF DOWNTOWN DETROIT

Image via Forgotten Detroit

The City's urban renewal efforts through the razing of dilapidated structures have led to a sort of urban prairie taking hold as vast tracts of land revert back to nature. The city has almost turned inside out, with the surrounding countryside urbanized into a sprawling metropolitan region of shopping centers, office parks and suburban neighborhoods - people migrate to the suburbs while wild animals have moved into the city.

It is disturbing to consider the size of this city and the outlay for infrastructure and development over the years only to be largely abandoned even as surrounding land continued to be developed. Forget the arguments about the form of sprawl, it is this kind of waste that makes this kind of growth through sprawl and abandonment sickening to behold.

DISAPEARING NEIGHBORHOOD FABRIC, STREETS AND SIDEWALKS SERVE MORE VACANT LOTS THAN HOUSES

Image via Google Maps

The DDD Project targets the most visible abandoned homes, those visible to suburbanites who commute into Detroit and witness the burned out and forsaken neighborhoods. Two of the first nine houses painted by DDD have since been torn down by the City. There is something of the project that recalls Gordon Matta-Clark's (1, 2) "building cut" pieces; transforming deserted buildings with a simple gesture.

DETROIT. DEMOLITION. DISNEYLAND. PROJECT

GORDON MATTA-CLARK - WINDOW BLOW OUT, 1976 (LEFT) & SPLITTING, 1974 (RIGHT)

It is not only the residential neighborhoods of Detroit that have suffered, Downtown large office buildings, hotels and skyscrapers sit vacant and crumbling. The United Artists Building has been appropriated by graffiti artists who have painted the windows of the towering hulk, transforming the facade into an urban mosaic, and breathing life and change to an otherwise uninhabited and lifeless structure.

UNITED ARTISTS BUILDING

Image via Detroit Blog

Other artists and groups have addressed the issue of abandonment and decay in Detroit over the years as well.

Perhaps the best known is Tyree Guyton, founder of the Detroit based Heidelberg Project, a non-profit organization that seeks to empowers the residents of declining communities and neighborhoods through art. The DDD Project owes much to the inspiration of Tyree Guyton's Heidelberg Street where he decorated the outsides of abandoned houses with discarded objects gathered from the streets.

The University of Detroit Mercy School of Architecture Detroit Collaborative Design Center has explored the blighted city through various projects speculating on the urban transformation of Detroit.

SOUND HOUSE (LEFT) & HAY HOUSE (RIGHT)

Images via University of Detroit Mercy School of Architecture

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Kate Ericson and Mel Zeigler
Posted by Patrick on 2/21/2006 2:16:00 PM

This work is very reminiscent of Kate Ericson and Mel Ziegler's work in the mid to late eighties. Check out the Tang Museum's site for more info on their work.
http://tang.skidmore.edu/4/exhibitions/show/381/doc/533/

reminds me of heidelberg
Posted by ross wienert on 2/26/2006 2:21:00 PM

the work is similar to the heidelberg project in detroit.

me too
Posted by James on 2/26/2006 4:46:00 PM

Ross, It reminded me of that too... which is why I mentioned it in the post ;-)

Old picturs for contrast
Posted by Robert A Rankin on 3/16/2006 7:12:00 PM

Like a lot of former "middle class" flight residents, I have black and white photos of old neighborhoods and recently filmed the same areas, now in ruins, for an interesting contrast. The effect is positively haunting. It would certainly make for an interesting publication or study for some student or professor. bobrankin54@msn.com

Hopeless
Posted by Disgusted on 4/23/2006 11:17:00 AM

Where is NERO when you need him?

detroityes.com
Posted by Toledo Bogeymann on 4/23/2006 7:55:00 PM

I left the area in '74, during the Arab oil embargo, but go back once or twice a year since then. If they would only tear down the vacant buildings it might look like a good place to live again. Here in Atlanta, the same thing was happening until the Olympics; then the blight was made right !

i love detroit
Posted by jennifer mcclellan on 5/15/2006 4:43:00 PM

I believe there is hope for Detroit. I was born in
Detroit and lived outside of Detroit most of my life
until 10 years ago when I moved to Florida Detroit beets tampa any day. it is sad to see theese photos because detroit was once a vibrant beautiful city to look at.I feel confidant that Detroit will see change for the better. I will always love Detroit

Panamared
Posted by JMH on 6/5/2006 12:10:00 AM

I moved to Enid, Oklahoma during the oil boom. I left a lot of friends behind. I grew up in Detroit

homegirl
Posted by Aryanne on 6/5/2006 12:31:00 AM

I was born and raised in Detroit. It was a violent place to live. I had some close calls and lost my older brother to cocaine and he was murdered. I never got over this and have to take Xanax for anxiety. It isn't a place to visit. Nobody MOVES there, they dream of leaving after growing up there. It's not exactly a good place to raise your kids. Detroit used to be called the "Murder City" in the 60's Having the most murders per capita inthe USA.I escaped Detroit during the "67 race riots. People in Detroit don't take any crap from anyone. SSo don't piss anyone off here, and it's not a tourist city. Never mind the city, go swimming or whatever you like to do. The possibilities For sports are endless!

History of a city
Posted by Martin knifeChief on 6/9/2006 6:20:00 AM

Very sad to see what is happening there. Here in Denver, our old neighborhoods are valued, to a point and they are now trying to save the old as the new takes over.I can see that many, many historical structures valued elsewhere, are deemed not worth saving there. Some day, that land will be valuable again.

I miss the Detroit area
Posted by Eric on 7/3/2006 3:17:00 PM

I totally miss Detroit. I am from Taylor but spent a lot of time in the city wiht my Uncle who still lives up there. I have lived near Tampa, FL. for alomst a decade after I got out of the Navy and it is my opinion I would rather put up with the problems of my hometown the the problems of any other. There are many poeple from Michigan down here that run Detroit down verbally but I say that they are not worthy to be from Michigan. I am in my early 30's and alomst have my Master's Degree and if I ever find an opprotunity in Detroit I will go up in a heartbeat. I would trade this mind oppresing year roud heat for some cold any day. I love Detroit and keep it in my prayers.

Land for parks
Posted by Heather on 7/5/2006 8:58:00 PM

Couldn't vacant land be turned into parks?
Maybe close down some roads, demolish them and plant grass and trees in their place. Also, I think the developers of the $180 million dollar Book-Badillac hotel and other high-profile restorations, should help build low cost apartment buildings. Then noone would be left out of the restoration.

wintterheath@hotmail.com

Decay and Development
Posted by Watts on 9/21/2006 11:06:00 PM

I am originally from the city, but I moved out to the suburbs when I was really young. It is sad to see how urban decay has destroyed the residential areas of the city. I also think it is sad how developers continue to tear up fields far outside the city to build subdivisions, yet city land continues to rot and decay. It is great to see how Downtown has developed into a great place to visit and spend the day. It's also great to see how some city developers are rebuilding areas like Corktown. I hear that this area of the city is actually a safe and nice place to live. It still horrible that crime and depression continues to rule in areas of the city that many of my family grew up in, when it was a safe and amazing place to live.

awareness
Posted by quinn on 11/12/2006 8:11:00 PM

The DDD interventions have obviously done their job. They have created an awareness of a current issue which is being avoided. These bright colored surfaces have sparked enough interest to publish an article and comment on. Maybe this could lead to a larger cooperation between people to act on this issue.--a revitilization, and publicity on this revitilization to reduce fear of the area.

Urban sprawl is the reason why Detroit's progress has been marginal
Posted by Andre on 11/18/2006 1:10:00 PM

As a native Detroiter, i have seen the impact that urban sprawl has had on inner city communities. The impact of urban sprawl on Detroit communities has been high property taxes, insurance, and neglected infrastructures. Moreover, urban sprawl can be traced back to the 1967 riots that ocurred in detroit, when racism, white flight, and Federal Government incentives drove whites and middle-class residents from Detroit into the suburbs. The exodus of whites and middle-class residents into the suburbs generated an economic, racial, social, and political between Detroit and its counterparts in the suburbs. Despite the small steps Detroit has made to revitilize itself, urban sprawl created a racial divide that has effected the resurgence of Detroit; because has been the epicenter for business, political forums, and championship parades.Subsequently, promoting diversity and adressing the issues of discrimmination,racism, and inequality will open the door for a thriving Detroit, and a growing Michigan.

blight and decay in detroit
Posted by Andre on 11/20/2006 2:23:00 PM

One of the critical issues impacting Detroit's rebirth is the growing number of blighted and Decayed buildings home in Detroit. There are approximately 12,000 vacated and eroding homes and buildings in the city.These infrastructures present safety,health, and environmental concerns. Moreover, small gains have made as aresul of a resurging downtown climate, and sucessful sports teams; but the myriad number of decayed buildings are still noticeable as one is enroute to Downtown Detroit. In order for Detroit to revitilize itself, demolishing or redeveloping the home seen on this website blog improve the overall quality of life in Detroit

Unbelievable
Posted by Tim Martin on 12/2/2006 11:08:00 AM

My wife and I bucked a most pronounced trend and moved to the Detroit area a few months back. I should preface my comments by stating that I grew up one of six siblings in a military family. My father was enlisted class. With six kids and low pay, we lived in some pretty scummy areas in many major metropolitian areas. I've since married a woman who is in the USN and have visited several other cities during our marriage.
I have never seen anything like Detroit. Not in New York, Boston, LA area,in the SF Bay Area, or elsewhere. That this city should stand in ruin while no one pays notice is mind boggling. This should be national news. The pictures on this site simply can't do justice to the scope and magnitude of the decadence that is Detroit.
You can drive for miles across Detroit on streets and thoroughfares such as Gratiot, Eight Mile of Eminem fame, or Michigan Ave. All feature variations of the same theme: abandoned, burned out, or boarded up warehouses, factories, schools, churches, community centers, and small storefront businesses.
Off down the side streets are thousands upon thousands of dilapitaded homes. Some are inhabited. Many are in various stages of decay.
The air is heavy with dispair. Citizens wander aimlessly. They seem as if in a daze.
Downtown is more of the same. There one can find a multitude of skyrises that stand empty or only partly inhabited. The business district is almost like a ghostown. Gone are the clamor and the bustle that are features of major cities worldwide. The quiet and the lack of people is eery. Other than the new sports complex, there is almost no new building in the downtown area.
It makes me wonder which big American city gets it next. If it can happen here, it will happen elsewhere.

N/A
Posted by MARIA on 12/15/2006 7:11:00 AM

I think that all they show is the bad things about detroit in things like this detroit has great things about it this is aloso where i grew up and yes there is plenty of crime and yes people are hurt everyday but where doesnt these things happen it happens detroit is a high crime city but we are developing to improve our city inmany diffrent ways i have had friends killed in detriot but not because of the community just because of the world today period

detroit
Posted by sonja wollner on 1/12/2007 8:53:00 PM

I was appalled when I recently saw Detroit. But in a country where people elected idiots as President what really can you expect

watch who you vote for (00)
Posted by Gball on 1/18/2007 10:44:00 PM

Colman Young and quamie did a great job didnt they? i watched the city burn from my rooftop in 67 than experenced busing at my school.the kids from downtown disturbed class so much and ripped all the tools out of machine shop that they closed it down im glad my parents got us out of that hood.it was a great place in the 60s .remember daly drive in greenfield and w chicago??

for those who still care
Posted by peggy malcolm on 2/5/2007 4:34:00 PM

i am a 32yr. old woman, married and raising children here in the city. I have seen some good times and bad. have seen good neighborhoods go bad. to me it seems like with good and new innovative ideas we can get the ball rolling again we just have to put our minds to it. we have some of the most talented people right here in our city. let's just do it.

Posted by Anonymous on 2/13/2007 5:33:00 PM

i was in total shock when ifirst saw the site fabulous ruins on the internet . it has changed my way of thinking about several things . its a shame for a nation that clams to be the richest of the world . so sad it hurts me in my soul . but it also almost poetic. detroit tels us that everything is contempererly. nothing last forever its all ending .people grow old and buildings grow old and than die and disapair that is the truth.detroit was a eyeopener for me i always here in the back off my head the song from petulia clark.DOWNTOWN GREETINGS J.H. GERDES AMSTERDAM THE NETHERLANDS

didnt have to be
Posted by f.drager on 2/19/2007 4:52:00 AM

during the 70s i visited downtown detroit weekly while working on a canadian merchent ship,making friends which i have to this day.the destruction of detroits core is such a shame considering that torontos old neighbourhoods have been preserved with victorian home values in excess of 1 million dollars.why did this have to happen?dont give me the race thing as toronto has a large population of non-white residents.as a outsider that has observed this carry on i feel sorry for the usa as you are destroying your heritage and nobody seems to care.its about time you changed your disposable society.

No surprise
Posted by jj on 2/23/2007 9:35:00 AM

Detroit has gone the way of Newark and Camden, NJ and Johannesburg, SA. Anyone could have predicted it.

i need a paint and a roller!
Posted by nightshade on 2/28/2007 4:42:00 PM

i love Detroit soooo much. i was born and raised on the east side of michigan in the suburbs. i moved to detroit while at the art university. i have not left yet. it is the only place i will live in michigan. there is so much history and passion there. i love this project DDD. it's crazy that we must paint these homes bright orange to get them torn down. they are beautiful images in photographs though, painted orange. a political statement and art art piece all in one! love it, love it, love it and love Detroit more!!!

Toledo isn't any better
Posted by matthew Johnson on 3/18/2007 7:53:00 PM

Just 60 miles south of Detroit is the City of Toledo. Toledo is experiencing exactly the same issues as Detroit. We are the rust belt with business shutting down, leaving us with a decline in population and many other things. Toledo and Detroit are exactly the same in alot of ways.

Change calls for adaptation
Posted by Rough Arch on 4/7/2007 3:03:00 PM

Detroit reached a climax on its economy. It was said before, it could have been predicted. People go where there are jobs and where they can afford to live. I was victim to the same thing. I couldnt afford to live in LA anymore. I was born there grew up there but my salary wasnt enough, so i left to denver. Got a better paying job, found a house i could afford for half the price than what i oculd have found in LA. I did what people have beeon doing in detorit for the past 50 years. I left. For different reasons but the same outcome. Detorit can not be left to be forgotten. people complain because only downtown is seeing some change, but its impossible to start evrywhere at the same time. you just cant. But once you start it will lead itself out. I think its ridiculous to have these many abandoned skyscrapers and hotels and all of these rich buildings that are being left to die. You need to begin with centralized affordable housing. That can sprout jobs. Alot of hard work and collaboration is going to be needed. Some of these abandoned but historical buildings need to restored and redesigned for detroit's new era. The people that are left might have to change alot of things to make things work. Raising new buildings downtown bringing new industries, makinhg detroit an interest for sometype of market. Detroit is suffreing from its failed economy. A new must be introduced in order to be saved. This is somehting that is not going to fix itself overnight. Its going to take years and exposure. Noone knows how bad it is there. Its New Orleans status in detroit, but noone is aware...

Detroit's government
Posted by visitor on 5/21/2007 2:28:00 PM

I visited Detroit briefly two years ago and I really hope it can someday recover. It has such potential though I realize it has a tough past of racial tension and a perpetually depressed economy to overcome.

But I was wondering...is part of the problem Detroit's government (i.e. Mayor Fitzpatrick, city council)? Or are they actually starting to turn things around? I'm curious to hear from people that live there, as the stories that reach those of us outside Detroit are rather negative, particuarly regarding the Mayor.

Detroit is coming back!
Posted by Anonymous on 6/18/2007 6:04:00 PM

It's been a slow, painful process, but Detroit is on the road to recovery. You can dine in some of the best restaurants in the country while gazing across the Detroit River at Canada. Casinos are building new hotels. There are some great people working hard and investing big bucks. There are boat races, car racing on Belle Isle, Montreaux Jazz Festival, International Festivals, Museums, sports. The people are great!

Detroit
Posted by Jose Bravo on 6/20/2007 4:22:00 AM

I have never been to Detroit, but would like to see this city one day. I am from South Florida and it’s a shame that this city was left like this to die. The resident of Detroit should do something to fix and revive this city. They should get companies to invest and ask the Federal Government to help. They should fabricate low-income housing and create jobs so people can start moving back. I think that this city and its location has lots of potential because it is next to the great lakes and Canada.

Road to Recovery???
Posted by Anon on 6/23/2007 6:39:00 AM

Detroit is a DUMP. Plain and simple. 50 years ago it was nice. And now it's not. What road to recovery are you looking at? The little areas that outside money builds up like Greektown to sucker the suburbanites to come down and spend money?

Detroit has had decades of corrupt government and the people who live their continuously vote those sleazy jerks in. Dennis Archer was a hope that died out because he wasn't going to play the corrupt game of the council.

Detroit is a crime-ridden, filthy, burned out city. If you tore down everything that was blight, you'd have the RenCen/Greektown area, and the sports area.

A past poster said: The exodus of whites and middle-class residents into the suburbs generated an economic, racial, social, and political between Detroit and its counterparts in the suburbs. "

The riots happened and the whites left. They said "Okay - here you go. Here's YOUR city. You want rights, and equality, and everything that goes with it - here you go. We're leaving and the city is all yours. We're not going to deal with it."

But it always seems like whites are to blame. Well, the whites left - it's their fault. Um - no, the whites left, and everyone that was left behind didn't do a damn thing to keep the city running. And now it's in ruins and we can all sit here and blame all the people that left in the 60s and 70s for not wanting to deal with all the BS, but that blame is unfounded.

No one in Detroit cares about Detroit. If they did, it wouldn't look the way it does, that SOB currently acting as mayor would never have been elected (nor would Coleman Young) and crime, filth and degradation wouldn't abound.

That is not the city I was born and raised in. That city is GONE, and it appears that the whole city will have to be burned out and demolished before anything gets done. VERY SAD.

How bad does it have to be before the residents decide enough is enough?

Late Great
Posted by ralph viggio on 6/27/2007 9:55:00 AM

I was born and raised in Detroit. It used to be a beautiful, prosperous city. My family owned several businesses and employed hundreds of Detroiters. Ultimately, the crime and racism (anti white) forced us to move to Grosse Pointe to live a better life. As far as I'm concerned, Detroit deserves its fate. If you drive down the streets that used to be lined with huge trees and beautifully maintained homes, it looks like there was a war. Everything is detroyed, abandoned or burned out. Naturally, this is some how the white people's fault (isn't everything?). These days, I don't cross the border into Detroit for any reason. It's too dangerous. I'll do my business in the suburbs.

Posted by Anonymous on 7/5/2007 8:32:00 AM

Detroit is my all time favorite city. In my oppinion she has the best pizza and some of the best entertainment venues in the states. Her skyline is impressive for a city off less than a million, for obvious reasons. I feel safe downtown in fact detroit has one of the safest downtowns in the country. I don't advise braving out past there unless u know the city. I wish emenem would right a song about 6 or 7 mile because 8 mile is releatively safe now. Im sorry white residents, politics, and, large corporations with racist thinking decided to turn on Detroit.

How can you forget the Music?
Posted by Amanda Lynn on 7/9/2007 11:25:00 AM

I am one of those Detroiters by choice. I'm originally from Minnesota and I chose to move here about 5 years ago, and, even though I've tried, can't seem to live anywhere else. The people of this city make this city what it is, and those that have chosen to stay here do try and make this a better place to live. most people can't see past the initial facade to see whats really going on here. The Arts and Music of Detroit are phenomenal,and new and exciting things are happening every day here. People are restoring houses here, and opening businesses, and creating jobs..... But,honestly aren't getting much help from the corrupt powers that be.... Sounds like a bit of a micro cosm of our country, wouldn't you say..... all these jerks trying to blame the people of this city for its problems got another thing coming. Theres' some real thick history here that people need to work through in order to come out on the other side, and no ones helping by talking trash. If you really want to see Detroit now, why don't you come down to one of the free festivals in the summer? Why don't you go work on a community garden that people are putting in an empty lot? Why not support a local artist? Why not volunteer at a community organization? Why not see past the end of your own nose an fear and look for the bright side.......... Anyways, most cities these days Now look like Celebration, Florida. Detroits a great place for people who don't want to live up to the prescribed American dream....... Maybe instead of building a city, we could raise up a village here, Maybe we could raise our own food here, Maybe we could become a model for a new kind of city.... Its already happening, But most people just can't see it yet. Since the world can't go on forever the way it is, with everyone consuming and consuming, Maybe this city's just waiting to slowly, but surely, introduce the United states to a new thing........... Who knows, I'm just a Detroit dreamer........

Give Me a Break
Posted by ralph viggio on 7/26/2007 9:41:00 PM

I can't believe there are still people talking about Detroit's coming "rebirth". Didn't they try that about 30 years ago with the RenCen? Yes. And it failed miserably. The problem is the hatred and racism of blacks towards white people. Why on earth would any white owned business, or any business for that matter, want to locate in a city that has declared itself a free fire zone for looting anything of value? Detroit has been in a downward spiral since the '67 riots. Oh man! I'm sorry. I forgot, it wasn't a riot. It was an uprising. And the gangs of thieving, murdering, raping arsonists were not drunken criminals on a week ong rampage, they were freedom fighters. Detroit is totally doomed, and, frankly, that's what the city managers deserve. Coleman Young set the tone. Kwame carries the torch. There is an old addage: be careful what you wish for.....you might just get it. Enjoy! As for me and my crowd, we'll be in the suburbs where it's safe. You might get pulled over for "driving while black" here, but you'll never get shot in the face for your gym shoes.

I'll always love Detroit
Posted by Kimberly Scott on 9/7/2007 9:36:00 PM

I was born and raised in Southwest Detroit, I lived there for almost 33 years. I now live in Holiday, Florida. It's beautiful here in Florida but in my opinion it could never compare to my hometown. Detroit might not be the most beautiful city and yes there are many ababdoned houses and buildings but Detroit has great potential. If I was in charge I would provide families with the abandoned houses that can be salvaged free of charge. Those families would be expected to do all necessary repairs to the homes and get them ready to be occupied within a certain amount of time. During that time period (say maybe 2 years) they would not have to pay any taxes on those homes which should not be a problem since nobody is paying taxes on them now as they sit abandoned. This way those people would have funding for the repairs. If within the allowed time period no major repairs were done then they would lose that home and it would be given to someone else. The same for abandoned buildings, this way if people are provided with these abandoned houses and buildings free of charge they could build the city back up and maybe open new businesses and create jobs. Detroit would have nothing to lose by doing this because those places are just sitting there decaying more and more and not bringing the city anything except a bad rep. With this plan many people would have the chance to have their own home or even fix up homes to rent out as long as they're being repaired and occupied and the city improves that should be all that matters. Then within a few years those people will be paying taxes on those homes and buildings helping the city even more. Detroit has some of the best people in the world in it and they deserve better. No matter where i go I'll always love my hometown and I'll always be a Detroit girl. Go Pistons :)

Posted by Made in Detroit on 12/4/2007 3:18:00 PM

I'm an urban planning student, born and raised in Detroit, with the intentions on returning after I graduate. Growing up I wasn't fond of the city, I didn't experience much crime like others on this blog or live in poverty, but through traveling realized that there was so much more in the world than what Detroit was offering. Now, however, I LOVE DETROIT!! I currently live in NYC and every chance I get I head back to Detroit. As a student I've been able to grasp a better understanding of the decline of Detroit. The social, political, and economic history behind the city is really amazing. I just wish people would stop focusing on "white flight" and the race riots, or crime and poverty without considering all aspects that brought the city down. Ie: the decentralization of the manufacturing industry and the discriminatory practices set in place by city officials. Detroit has deep history, its great! And you best belive, Detroit will rise again!!!

End of the World, American Style
Posted by Sky Is Falling on 12/19/2007 1:45:00 PM

Hi - I just read a post about Detroit with the suggestion they make the vacant land parks. There is not a single vacant lot in Detroit that hasn't been contaminated with lead, mercury, cadmium, etc. - not one. For decades it was, here is $500 or here is $5000 to look the other way, as I dump toxic waste here.
ALSO, I am back in New York but lived in Detroit for 3 years recently. I worked at the newly built American Axle World Headquarters in Hamtramck (center of city). A former GM site, by law they had to remove 12 feet of toxic dirt before starting to build - but legally in Michigan, this same toxic dirt was used to landscape the new marble and glass building.
In San Francisco they say a Republican is like a Democrat. In Michigan, Democrats are like Republicans. Macomb County is the home of the Reagan Democrats, or more accurately, armed Reagan Democrats. Sigh.

Note: I know its popular to try and shop for food locally - there is a group that has a 100 mile rule - make your holiday dinner using food produced within 100 miles of where you live. When I am in Southern Michigan, the Detroit area but Midland down - my rule is 250 miles - only food must come from at least that far AWAY...

Sprawl?
Posted by Mark on 1/21/2008 8:52:00 PM

Y'all blaming a made-up construct, "sprawl." People move for a reason...don't like to live with violent [people], that's all. Can't be honest? [People] get along best with their own kind. Forced integration never has worked...not once! Yet it remains the mantra, goal and accepted standard for communities. I don't want to live with [people that are different than me], either. So, I don't and I have a wonderful life for me and my family. Pretty simple.

[Editor's Note: Racial epithets were edited out of this comment. Feel free to voice your opinion, but keep the racial slurs to yourself. Pretty simple, eh?]

wow
Posted by San Diego on 1/24/2008 8:51:00 AM

Thos who do not pick up their trash and then demand someone else to come and clean it up for them represent those who deserve to live in filth. White flight? Moving business? None of these had any affect on what happen to Det-Riot. Those who live there allowed this to happen because no one cared for anything but their own self interests. It appears that Det-Riot would be better if it was walled up and burnt to the ground.

You will never see this in San Diego.

DET Demolition
Posted by Anna Schneider on 3/25/2008 11:00:00 AM

I am in the process of creating a nonprofit demolition team. All people interested in helping clear out the abandoned properties and giving incentives to new businesses please e-mail me at DETDemolition@yahoo.com I'm looking for some spirited individuals passionate about not talking about change, but doing it

It's not just the residents...
Posted by No longer in Detroit on 4/5/2008 3:15:00 PM

It's everyone in and around Detroit that allowed this to happen. Many other cities around the country have had to deal with riots, white flight, poverty, crime, and declining industry. Why is Pittsburgh in better shape? How about, Cleveland, Cincinnati, and Chicago? All had a manufacturing based economy, suffered with high crime, abandonment, and poverty, and all are in much better shape than Detroit.

It's much too easy to blame this on one segment. Those in the burbs blame it on those in the city. Those in the city blame it on those that left the city. Everyone points at someone else, and that's the basis of the problem. It takes a genuine effort on the part of the citizens, the politicians, and the businesses of the entire Metro area to fix a problem like Detroit. And the suburbs, whether they believe it or not, need a strong central city, in order to sustain a strong economy. Without it you can see what happens. Michigan leads the nation in unemployment, and has been in a one state recession for several years.

www.themotorlesscity.com

Nothing changes if nothing changes
Posted by Clean it up! on 5/5/2008 8:01:00 AM

As said by a great man " Nothing changes if nothing changes". Quit talking and moaning and get out and pick up that first piece of trash. If everyone in Detroit would take ownership of just one block to cleanup imagine what could be accomplished instead of sitting at your computers whining about all the problems. Instead of taking the time to spray paint buildings orange cleanup a vacant lot or city block. Someone has to show they really care and get involved instead of just letting it be.
Detroit get off your butts and get outside and do some spring cleaning!

Detroit rejects $200 million for Schools
Posted by Faye on 8/31/2008 10:17:00 AM

"Thanks to the poisonous atmosphere created by a hostile Detroit public school establishment, philanthropist Robert Thompson has decided, with deep regret, that it is impossible for him to donate a $200 million gift to the city’s school children.

The gift would have come in the form of 15 new charter high schools that would have guaranteed a graduation rate of 90 percent. The city’s current graduation rate is 67.2 percent. Many believe that even this low graduation rate is inflated by inaccurate reports filed by Detroit Public Schools.

Thompson threw in the towel after the Detroit teachers union threw what can only be described as a tantrum over the prospect of having to compete with charter schools.

If a community can't improve if it doesn't want to. What can you do with that?

Socialism
Posted by DoubleD on 10/30/2008 2:05:00 PM

I am saddened to read the comments from the readers who onced lived in Detroit. The reason I am leaving this post is because I share those same sentiments. I grew up in Northeast Ohio in a beautiful middle class neighboorhood with good schools and great parks. It started to deteriorate in the mid 60's when the welfare state got started. Within 10 years, the neighborhoods were falling apart, the once beautiful houses were not maintained, crime became common place. Streets that were once main hubs of small family business' are now boarded up shacks. The main culprit, in my opinion was due to the leftist social policies that were instituted, welfare, food stamps, etc. People no longer had to take care of their houses, the county would just move them to another house. I have heard stories of people on welfare who took apart their own plumbing and sold it, then called the welfare office to have it replaced. To pay for the welfare state, taxes were increased, so business' left. People moved to the suburbs and the inner cities got worse and worse. I now live in southern California, I left over 20 years ago. I would love to move back and live in one of those beautiful old brick houses, but when I visit, it seems the decaying neighborhoods just keep expanding like a toxic mold. Friends and family tell me their are no jobs to come back to. The liberals run the state and cities and chase out the business' with the high taxes. These cities like Detroit, will never recover unless the economic and social policies change from the policies of socialism.

Detroit Recovery?
Posted by Peter J. Evans III on 12/29/2008 4:50:00 PM

I have seen Detroit...and Camden, NJ...and Portland, OR. These cities will never "recover", be "improved", or do anything but continue a downward decline...Ever.

There is no money for rebuilding wastelands, no one in their right mind would bring money into cities like these. You see, you have to make a profit with money and you can't in a broken down old city.

Regardless of who is mayor, you are not going to bring in one dollar of outside money to a hole in the ground, they are not going to build low income housing, they are not going to bring back the millions of jobs sent overseas in the 60's, 70's, 80's and 90's. Not going to happen, not now, not ever.

These cities are sustained by the people not having any idea that every other place is better...or they can't afford to leave. No one with money would move their, they aren't crazy. There are still millions of acres of land in the United States, undeveloped, where the weather is fine, crime is low, streets are paved smooth, and it is safe to raise a family.

If you are in Detroit move out now, regardless of your age, you life will only get better immediately.

you get what you vote for
Posted by Nancy on 1/16/2009 3:40:00 PM

Detroit, the city of my birth, has been run by liberal, socialist, welfare-state Democrats for the last 30+ years. How's that workin? Given that the whites left before/during/after the riots, Detroit should be a paradise by now. What happened?

memories of childhood
Posted by melody damron kirk on 3/14/2009 9:19:00 AM

I lived outside of Detroit until I was 8 years old.I went to Warren Harding and Samuel Gompers schools.Christmas was a wonderful time there. We went to the Ford Rotondra to see lifesize mechanical figurerines like Georgie Porgie and Wee Willie Winkie running through the town. There was a huge doll collection that lit up the eyes of little girls like me.A beautiful nativity and outside real reindeer to see.Downtown there was the big department store(I cant recall its name) where I climbed up a stairway to Santa sitting on a throne.And I watched the giant parade on Thanksgiving Day that started the season.In the summer we went to beautiful Belle Isle to walk through the plant conservatory and watch the water change colors at night in the wonderful fountains.I loved the zoo and Greenfield Village. I lived in Detroit again in the 60's and visited many of these places again and they were still just as wonderful to me as I remembered.I left in 1969 and only visited there twice after that when I took my children there in the 70's. They loved it too.I'm sad to read about the bad state of the city I loved.

black bottom
Posted by black bottom/paradise valley on 3/17/2009 12:18:00 PM

No one seems to remember the amazing black bottom of the 1920's-1960's up until the riots. the african american community was a thriving success related to the business sector, detroit had the highest concentration of business owners in the united states for this period of time. What happen? the government lead by the presidents wife at that time decided to run a freeway ( I 75) directly on top of the infamous black bottom, and the government decided to build homes for all of the "displaced" blacks they called the government homes "projects" so i guess when things don't change blame the blacks, it's the racist motives of the united states government that got detroit into the situation!

interior photos
Posted by Lynn on 5/28/2009 4:06:00 PM

does anyone have photos of the Imperial Hotel interior during the 20's? It is located at 26 Peterbor0 now home to COTS?

move to Detroit???
Posted by Owen Eden on 9/21/2009 12:38:00 AM

I would love to move to Detroit. I fear it would be too hard because of the scarcity of jobs. When I was 21 I could pick up and go anywhere. I am 36 now. It would be too scary. If there are positive suggestions on how to do this, I will be glad to hear them.

motorless city...
Posted by Zack on 10/29/2009 6:12:00 PM

I grew up as a kid here and i live right next to south pond neighborhood which is completelly abandoned! AN ENTIRE NEIGHBORHOOD abandoned! It is sad and disturbing...

Just a Canadian Girl
Posted by Catherine on 11/1/2009 5:28:00 PM

Well, I am canadian and have never been to Detroit but have taken an interest in the phenomena taking place there. It is shocking! There are no Canadian cities that resemble anything even close to Detroit. Where was the American spirit and courage when the exodus of whites occurred? Many Canadian cities and towns have suffered job losses and population migrations, but new people, new ideas, and new businesses sprang up in their place. You Yanks are all about the Land of the free and the home of the Brave??? Where are you brave Americans. Get off your collective butts and stop blaming everybody else. Take responsability. Deal with the crime. Clean up your acts, and if you can do that, business and enterprise will return. Not to mention your national pride. You are all guilty of letting this happen from what an outside observer can tell. If this was happening to me, I might have to leave but I would fight for change. It's disgusting to see the condition of this once great city. Gladder than ever to be Canadian!

Oh and yeah...
Posted by Catherine on 11/1/2009 5:34:00 PM

Kick out your corrupt politicians and elect an underdog who actually cares and has a vision and a plan for change.

JOBS
Posted by Blue collar boy on 11/8/2009 12:49:00 PM

No city, no state and no country can survive without jobs. Here is US, rich get richer and poor die!
Greed, corperate greed mostly, caused this city to become what it is.

Canadian Girl
Posted by JP on 12/15/2009 7:32:00 AM

Nice sentiment. Wish it was that easy. In Canada, things are more concentrated (Just like Europe). Generations of the same families tend to stay put. Not so in the US. If you want to know what happened to the children and grand children of the people who made Detroit great, go to Austin Texas, Atlanta Georgia, and Durham North Carolina. Americans have always voted with thier feet after all else fails. And Detriot didn't happen in a vaccum. All of Michigan is in a steady economic and social decline. As is Northern Indiana, much of Ohio and much of Illinois and Wisconsin.

But, Michigan will be back. Eventually smart investors, entrapaneurs, artists, and dreamers will rediscover Detroit and Michigan.

First visit to Detroit
Posted by TN on 1/24/2010 3:27:00 PM

I just returned from my very first visit to the Detroit area. As the Dutch poster above said, what I saw hurt me in my soul. I've never seen such an abject city. We visited most of the historical neighborhoods that are trying to hold on, and some of them gave me hope. Rosemont, Sherwood Forest, and Palmer Woods looked to be in pretty good shape, with pride of ownership showing. The famed Boston-Edison neighborhood looked to be 30-40% abandoned, with many boarded up houses in great disrepair. Indian Village seemed to be in good repair but with such destruction so close by, how can it survive?

It seems like the single most effective thing Detroit could do in its own favor is abolish the city income tax, a perverse tax with dis-incentivizes people from living or working in the city, favoring homes and jobs in the suburbs.

You are all dreamers
Posted by Frank C. on 2/22/2010 2:21:00 PM

This place is a festering hole. Detroit is a godawful mess. The decades with Coleman Young and his moronic hateful/ spiteful attitude only accelerated Detroit's nose-dive into a welfare fueled crime zone. All you people thinking that entrapaneurs, artists and good natured people will suddenly come forth and save the architecture are dreaming. The inhabitants of Detroit's residential areas do not care, and they are not motivated to have a better existance. They have been raised in the welfare state, and feel that what ever they need should be handed to them. The auto industry is never going to recover to the point where it could sustain the Detroit of the 1950's... leaving even more unemployed in a city that has no decent infrustructure, funding or strong decisive political leaders. The fact is, it is the people that live there that are bringing the city down. At this point there is no one to blame but themselves. They are poor, violent, destructive and it is their very nature that keeps anyone of good intention from investing there or trying to improve what exists. When there is an infestation, you need to clean house,this is what Detroit is...infested, not populated. If you lived here for 45 years like I have you would know. I am too old and broke to leave. The city needs a complete razing.

why this far?
Posted by Jim on 3/7/2010 6:52:00 PM

This is a bit telescoped and somewhat inaccurate chronologically. In the 1950s, the city was still vital in every way; my father used to take a bus downtown (from the far northern suburbs) to see Alec Guinness films when he was ten years old or something. In the early 1970s, retail stores were still very commonplace, sidewalk newsstands, active large hotels, conventions, even still some nightclubs.I saw plenty of that myself, and was in the city often at Cobo events, ethnic festivals, the DIA, etc. as a kid. Today, things are generally in poor shape in Detroit, though the arts outlets are still very valuable to the public, of course. Bad local government has been one major contributor to its decline, but there also have to be reasons to go to the city. If we had a good public transit system (remember, GM famously conspired to end all that), decent retail centers, etc. in Detroit, more people would spend money there. But I was born there and live about 25 miles or so away and am in the city maybe one or two times a year. The city tax, parking fees and reportedly fraudulent traffic tickets, etc. keep people away. People who are not from MI unfortunately confuse Detroit and its decrepit image with the rest of the metro area, which of course is vastly different/ Abandoned neighborhoods, yes. It's horrifying to see the remains, but why can't people plant food crops in the (non-polluted) vacant lots? The incinerator? Terrifying source of pollution, the effects can be seen on building all over the city. Gray staining, corroded materials from that toxicity, etc. I've known people who moved there and had all their belongings stolen weeks later, so it makesa sense that people would avoid it. I can walk in my neighborhood at 4AM (in decent weather, obviously), but who would do that in Detroit? And the riot: I was about 5 years old then, we lived only a dozen miles away at that point--civic disorder like that, destroying one's own city, sources of food and income, is insane. Unlike so many naive young people, I do not think it helpful or especially revealing to photograph decaying buildings; it's like documenting garbage. All credit to Guyton for his fine work.

CrimeCapital
Posted by DetroitSucks on 3/11/2010 6:53:00 PM

I wouldn't wish that cesspool on my worse enemy, that place should be used to dump nuclear waste, nobody would notice the difference, as it is so polluted anyway. Anybody that says it is a great place has been sniffing to much crack. what a SEWER

Send me your crackheads
Posted by MotorCityisDead on 3/11/2010 7:10:00 PM

I am the Motor City, I have bled all I can bleed, nothing is left, my soul left years ago, the devil didn't take it, he lives here to. Please put me out of my misery, I have no more to cry, I am tired, I have worked a long shift, and now I want to sleep. Remember me in your dreams, remember how young and strong I was, but now I am old and frail. Sleep is coming, I feel the road narrowing, and I know my time is near. I need to go now, they are calling me, the ones that wnet on before me, have come back to take me home, say a prayer for me, you will not see me again, goodnight, as a fade into a soft summer breeze.

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