Quote Originally Posted by bailey View Post
It was founded as a military outpost and trading post. It's proximity to navigable waterways made it an industrial hub as most goods were shipped by boat. How many wharfs, docks and factories are on the water in Detroit theses days? It last incarnation was as a car manufacturing center. How many plants are still in Detroit? Two?
well, the control of that international boundary is, for all intents and purposes, in the control of a private citizen for his own gain. I think the areas around the bridge might differ on whether or not having it there is a good thing. Of the three cities, Detroit Toledo and Ann Arbor, the only one thriving is the one NOT located on the waterway, and confluence of rail networks of which you speak. It's thriving because it is as disconnected from the dying manufacturing industry as it possibly can be in this state. However, take away the gigantic state subsidized Uof M, and you'd have the Mt Clemens of Washtenaw county.

That presupposes the suburbs will not become more "urban" in nature. Downtown Birmingham is walkable..restaurants, condos, and offices galore. Downtown Royal Oak, similar and growing. Dearborn the same....etc. Yes, exurbs are silly, but to say that Detroit MUST come back is ignoring the fact that most of the region has moved beyond needing Detroit as the regional Downtown and have been busily building their own.

That is all well and good, but I would contend that DC was always the center of the region and the result you cite is simply the artificial real estate bubble bursting and normalcy returning. If this area ever recovers, what property is going to come back to peak? Indian village or Birmingham?
I agree that Detroit needs to radically overhaul how it does business. But, natural advantages, what natural advantages? access to 19th century modes of shipping? early 20th century architecture? a vast and easily used mass transit system? great schools? educated workforce?
The problem with Detroit is it has virtually nothing to offer the vast majority of those that live here.
The hilarous part and the part that illustrates Detroit's regional irrelevance is what I said above, all those evil suburban communities are embracing the urbanist planning philosophy. Cities that had no real downtowns are either building them or trying to...with varying levels of success. What no one is doing is considering Detroit as an alternative.
So let me follow you. The characteristics that made Detroit city proper a relevant city and economic powerhouse no longer apply. Thus, the region no longer "needs" Detroit. Okay, I get that [[not that I agree).

But if the resources that made Detroit a relevant city are no longer relevant, then isn't the same true of the entire region? What else is there to keep the suburbs afloat other than a rapidly shrinking industry?