Detroit in 20 years Article... How realistic is it? (Portland, Hudson: 2013, crime rates)

[xfactor85]

Hey guys I found this article about what Detroit could be in 20 years. How realistic do you guys think this "vision"(or hallucination) really is?

This Is What Detroit Could Look Like In 2033 ... And Beyond

Personally, After living in Metro Detroit for almost a quarter of a century, I frankly think the article is full of crap. There aren't enough middle class jobs to support that many people in Detroit. Where would the current residences live?

[Champ le monstre du lac]

Not holding my breath as it has nowhere to go but up, but I'm rooting for Detroit and would like to see it return to greatness. Who's to know what it could be in 20 years, look at where NYC was 20 years ago and where it is now. Center City Philadelphia has gone through a rapid transformation in 20 years as well, a lot can happen in 20 years. It will come down to what the will of the people in Detroit want in their city, good leadership, perhaps a homegrown migration from the suburbs as the new generation arrives to garner attention nationally.

The cities that are already popular (SF/Seattle/Boston and several more) are not as attainable or affordable for many young people, and the urban shells of the rustbelt can spawn a lot of creativity. They just need to believe in it and their vision and ignore the naysayers. To say that it's a bunch of crap and a hallucination is just cynical and not a very valuable opinion as it negates good leadership. People with a more optimistic belief and vision will serve the city well and that's where the revival starts and that inspires good leadership. Anything is possible.

[Iconographer]

A lot of this will depend on Detroit's ability in future to attract new business and diversify its economic base. The local governments will have to offer incentives in order to compete.
That being said, Detroit's reclamation is out of the realm of possibility. Does anyone else remember New York City in the 70s?

[xfactor85]

Originally Posted by LovinDecatur

A lot of this will depend on Detroit's ability in future to attract new business and diversify its economic base. The local governments will have to offer incentives in order to compete.
That being said, Detroit's reclamation is out of the realm of possibility. Does anyone else remember New York City in the 70s?

I think the biggest difference between NYC in the 70s and Detroit is that: (1) the financial sector never left NYC, the manufacturing sector left Detroit, (2) NYC has always been known as a large world class city, Detroit is neglected abandoned by the world media,(3) NYC has always had its share of rich people, Detroit never had the same share of the rich, (4) Metro NYC area never experienced a dramatic population decline like Detroit.

[Iconographer]

Originally Posted by xfactor85

I think the biggest difference between NYC in the 70s and Detroit is that: (1) the financial sector never left NYC, the manufacturing sector left Detroit, (2) NYC has always been known as a large world class city, Detroit is neglected abandoned by the world media,(3) NYC has always had its share of rich people, Detroit never had the same share of the rich, (4) Metro NYC area never experienced a dramatic population decline like Detroit.

All valid points, but l was referring in general to how quickly neighborhoods and venues can turn around given the right circumstances. Look at Times Square, lower Manhattan neighborhoods like SoHo and TriBeCa, neighborhoods across the Hudson like Hoboken and Jersey City, Brooklyn, Queens. Having lived there 30 years ago, I marvel at the turnaround I see now.
I'm rooting for Detroit! It was my grandfather's hometown, and always one of his favorite cities. It's encouraging to hear about what's in the pipeline.

[jtur88]

The 'after' pictures are just artists conceptions of buildings that could be built on any razed leveled lot anywhere, including, I guess, Detroit. What does it matter what building was previously there before the wrecking ball?

Detroit was a burning war zone in the 60s, and made a "comeback". How many chances to they get?

Articles in the on-lline Huffington Post website are just a joke.

[Champ le monstre du lac]

Originally Posted by xfactor85

I think the biggest difference between NYC in the 70s and Detroit is that: (1) the financial sector never left NYC, the manufacturing sector left Detroit, (2) NYC has always been known as a large world class city, Detroit is neglected abandoned by the world media,(3) NYC has always had its share of rich people, Detroit never had the same share of the rich, (4) Metro NYC area never experienced a dramatic population decline like Detroit.

See this is exactly what Detroit's problem is. Too much focus in what was, and what is, instead of what it could be. The more the city and its people dwell on how bad things are and what would hinder it's ability to rise up again, the more it will sink into the abyss. Articles, blogs, and statements about Detroit's abysmal economy are a dime a dozen, why start another thread based on that? The usual cynical "look how bad Detroit is" discussion has at this point become as compelling as an old fart. I find discussions about Detroit's possibilities and potential for greatness far more interesting.

Question: Do you want Detroit to return to greatness again? If the answer is yes, then start focusing on the possibilities rather than the deterrents.

From a distance as a resident of the Desert Southwest I see Detroit as a city with a very abundant water supply which could be worth its weight in gold in the future as cities in these parts scramble for more water resources which will become more expensive and scarce in the future. Detroit has a good core in place with good bones to build on, and it will certainly be a lot cheaper to do renovation and build infill infrastructure in Detroit than somewhere like NYC. It's near the Great Lakes which is a very attractive region.

[Iconographer]

Originally Posted by caphillsea77

See this is exactly what Detroit's problem is. Too much focus in what was, and what is, instead of what it could be. The more the city and its people dwell on how bad things are and what would hinder it's ability to rise up again, the more it will sink into the abyss. Articles, blogs, and statements about Detroit's abysmal economy are a dime a dozen, why start another thread based on that? The usual cynical "look how bad Detroit is" discussion has at this point become as compelling as an old fart. I find discussions about Detroit's possibilities and potential for greatness far more interesting.

Question: Do you want Detroit to return to greatness again? If the answer is yes, then start focusing on the possibilities rather than the deterrents.

From a distance as a resident of the Desert Southwest I see Detroit as a city with a very abundant water supply which could be worth its weight in gold in the future as cities in these parts scramble for more water resources which will become more expensive and scarce in the future. Detroit has a good core in place with good bones to build on, and it will certainly be a lot cheaper to do renovation and build infill infrastructure in Detroit than somewhere like NYC. It's near the Great Lakes which is a very attractive region.

Well said. Let's also acknowledge that some of the loveliest suburban neighborhoods in the US are located in metro Detroit.

[kyle19125]

Originally Posted by caphillsea77

Not holding my breath as it has nowhere to go but up, but I'm rooting for Detroit and would like to see it return to greatness. Who's to know what it could be in 20 years, look at where NYC was 20 years ago and where it is now. Center City Philadelphia has gone through a rapid transformation in 20 years as well, a lot can happen in 20 years. It will come down to what the will of the people in Detroit want in their city, good leadership, perhaps a homegrown migration from the suburbs as the new generation arrives to garner attention nationally.

The cities that are already popular (SF/Seattle/Boston and several more) are not as attainable or affordable for many young people, and the urban shells of the rustbelt can spawn a lot of creativity. They just need to believe in it and their vision and ignore the naysayers. To say that it's a bunch of crap and a hallucination is just cynical and not a very valuable opinion as it negates good leadership. People with a more optimistic belief and vision will serve the city well and that's where the revival starts and that inspires good leadership. Anything is possible.

Well said and spot on. Any young entrepreneurs with any sense of what's going on in the major cities in the US would do well to take a hard look at Detroit. It's a city on the move and while naysayers may pile on and say otherwise the evidence is beginning to form otherwise.

http://www.nytimes.com/2011/07/03/fa...pagewanted=all

http://www.nytimes.com/2012/10/19/sp...roit.html?_r=0

Bankrupt Detroit's downtown renaissance creates trickle of hope | Reuters

Motor City Mojo: The Startup Renaissance In Detroit | TechCrunch

[xfactor85]

I'm from the Metro Detroit area and I've lived there for over a quarter century. I have never lived longer than 6 months outside of Detroit and have never lived longer than 3 months outside the midwest.

When I was growing up in the 90s, I always thought that all us cities were like Detroit in that the downtown areas are terrible and had high crime rates and dismal and that the suburbs were nice. Furthermore, our family never went on vacations in the US. It was always to the Caribbean or asia so I never got to experience nice areas like SF, LA, Portland, Seattle, Houston, Miami ... etc. The only time I got to actually live outside of Detroit was for Grad school. However, I didn't venture far, and lived in other cities in the rustbelt which were just like Detroit.

It was only after I took a semester internship in DC and NY had I realized that other areas of the country had more to offer. Furthermore, I also realized that it isn't just Detroit that has "nice" Suburbs, just about every major city in the US has nice suburbs as nice or nicer than Detroit. My point in the rant is that everyone around Detroit keeps stating how nice the "burbs" are here, but I found the suburbs in Stl, Chicago and Cleveland just as nice as Detroit.

I think when everyone keeps pointing out the positives, i.e. "low cost of living" "no traffic" they tend to forget that there is a reason why it is LCOL and has less traffic.....

Lastly, I noticed that a lot of people here in Detroit think that startups are going to be what saves Detroit, I really dont think that will save the city. Not everyone of the 700k residents can work for a startup. What we need in the city is a rededication to education and hope that with education, the next generation can slowly make Detroit rise from the ruins.