Originally Posted by
ghettopalmetto
I don't know, Chicagoforlife. I think a lot of the paradigm has to do with Detroiters' perception of the function of the city. There seem to be a significant percentage who view the City of Detroit as a theme park, intended for little more than entertainment of suburbanites and tourists. The idea that people actually *live* and *work* in Detroit seems to escape them. It's a provincial worldview, to say the least, and leads to an eternal pissing match where small, wealthy, self-segregating enclaves like Birmingham are perceived to compete against the Big Bad City of Detroit, vis-a-vis the World Beyond the Pleasant Peninsulas [[which apparently, exists only in fairy tales, trips to Cedar Point, and weekend excursions to Chicago).
The excuses of "crime", "education", and "unemployment" are always trotted out. But no one ever concludes that, with better transit options, Detroit residents just *might* have an easier time getting to a job.
So Arlington, Virginia [[among others cities) is a mirage? You present a false choice, in that DETROIT DOES NOT HAVE FUNCTIONAL TRANSIT. You might as well state that Detroiters prefer driving to rocket ships.