Originally Posted by
casscorridor
Good ideas all around. But I do not think Royal Oak or Birmingham counts or should count as the urban "core" of the region. Only the center of Detroit should count, and a core shouldn't be linear. Woodward is just one one the main spokes radiating from the true core, not the core itself. Michigan Ave in Dearborn, for example, has far more institutions and "anchors" than Woodward in Oakland, including UM-Dearbornn and the Henry Ford. The true core consists of Downtown-Midtown-New Center, Corktown-Mexicantown, Eastern Market and Rivertown. There is much more to the core than Woodward. We need to build a true core with continuous vibrant neighborhoods side by side in a cluster surrounding Downtown on all sides. Royal Oak and Birmingham might pass as urban in Metro Detroit but not in real urban cities.