Originally Posted by
southofbloor
You know what though, one view from here in Toronto is that Detroit [[still) has really spectacular old buildings, amazing buildings way beyond the quality that we have here - and a beautiful downtown layout of boulevards and parks. I think Detroit is one of the more interesting places in north america right now because its architectural base has so much potential and a lot of people are working at repairing and building on that base.
A big part of Detroit emerging within the next decade as an important city again is going to be through leveraging the unique architecture of the place. The reason people are moving to the city is because it has so much beauty in it. But every major piece of architecture that gets demo'd [[Mark Twain Library, Mackenzie High School, Ford Auditorium, Lafayette Building, or even Wurlitzer Building, University Club, Charlevoix Hotel in potential demo by neglect) that could have been stabilized until a use was found reduces the impact this tool can have on drawing people back into the city, building a tax base and stabilizing the place. Security is a huge issue that has to weigh into this, but as an outsider I think Detroit's architectural history is its most valuable and underrated tool for rebuilding a city that people want to stay in and love.