Should we reconnect with our French History and become the Paris of North America?

Detroit was once dubbed the Paris of North American in 1930. Should we not try to reclaim this title in 2030? If you were to ask people all over the world, what is your most preferred city, surely Paris would make the list. Why? To begin, Paris has beautiful architecture, boulevards, cultural attractions, and so forth. Let's face it, French culture sells. So why should we not market it to our advantage? New Orleans is a case in point...imagine what New Orleans would be without its French Quarter and French cultural heritage?

Detroit would not be refabricating history or pretending to be of French heritage either. Our city was founded by a Frenchman and the radiating boulevards from Campus Martius illustrate the original French design. We have started La March de Nain Rouge. The DIA is beax-arts in architecture.

So, what do people think about creating an urban plan for Detroit that is European [[or Parisian) in style and not American. We can make Detroit the most unique American city. Specifically, roundabouts, fountains, statutues, plazas, lined trees, cobble-stone streets, and a UNIFORM ARCHITECTURE of apartments and condos that look European. Instead of going to Paris, people can visit Detroit? Any thoughts?????

first, the paris of the Midwest thing was from the 1890's and is not a well-known moniker except for a the few detroitophiles that tread this earth. Not that being the Paris of Midwest isn't a fine goal, it just isn't an attainable goal.

Monikers don't come top-down, but rather bottom up; hence any moniker you conjure, the people will decide on its truthiness.

Instead of building roundabouts and fountains, I would guess that most folks would rather have the police show up when they need them. The fountain idea is just dandy, in fact there is a lovely one up in Palmer Park that might need a bit of buffing, start with that and report back.

Well........ New Orleans never had a fire that burned down all of its colonial buildings for one. Correct me if I'm wrong, but wasn't the attitude at the time immediately following the American capture of the city to get away from French roots and go towards a more English model, with the street grids and architecture?

Also, while I think the thought is a noble one, if people want Paris, they will go to Paris. The wholesale destruction of older architecture and history seems to be something that most industrial cities have faced. Why is this? I have absolutely no idea, and perhaps the people on this board who are much more well versed in the field of architecture and the history of it can give their take on that.

Detroit has it's own amazing culture without having to lean on French culture. We have our own art, music, literature and theater, but just as Paris was the great art incubator of the past 300 years, Detroit was the great industrial incubator, and I think sometimes we are too quick to scoff at that tradition. To me it is something to be proud of.

Also, Paris and other great European cities look the way they do because they are so very old. I don't think people appreciate fabricated character as we would have if we started building a modern European-esque city. Also, building something like what you are proposing would take generations and a multi-generational commitment to architectural uniformity. Since when do politicians agree on anything for very long?

Rome or Paris or even Detroit wasn't built in a day :)

The big factor that earned Detroit the Paris-like moniker was the city's wide boulevards. A few are still in place.

I've thought a more apt model to look to for inspiration is Montreal rather than any Old World or Anglo rooted US city.

I have to agree with the sentiments above. We need to be ourselves, warts and all. I like a quote I heard recently, "Be yourself, everybody else is taken." To name ourselves after another and fabulous city just opens us to wannabee derision.

There is no French community in any real sense, just names of streets and surnames like mine, Boileau, and like most Detroiters with French names I speak very little French and have no identity with the 'home' country.

New Orleans by contrast has a full blown French-speaking Cajun community and culture surrounding it.

For rebranding purposes I think we have an opportunity to play up our international border cities status or as I like to call us, "World's Greatest International Metropolis". Sadly our pointless and increasingly restrictive border is working against that opportunity.

It is sad that our restrictive border rules inhibit free passage. We were frequent visitors to Windsor, often taking out of town guests. I dislike the fact that while Windsor/Canada welcomes us, I can't return to my native country without a passport. Which is ludicrous really

Also from 1922 to 1930, Edward Gray touted his waterfront community Grayhaven, as the "Venice of the Midwest".

My main goal in posting this was to see what people's thoughts were regarding architecture and urban planning in addition to rebolstering our French heritage. I think that Detroit does indeed have great architecture and history. I, in no way, mean that we should copy another city. But I can't help but feel that Detroit could incoroporate urban planning from European models. Case in point: architectural uniformity, cobble stoned streets, tree-lined avenues, fountains, roundabouts, plazas, and statues. This does not erase Detroit and its history, but rather give it a pleasant urban setting. Imagine if Midtown made some of these changes?? Imagine Woodward with lined trees, fountains in the median, statues throughout Midtown, and Masonic temple's park turned into a plaza. Put in cobble stoned streets throughout Midtown [[Wodward, Warren, Mack, John R, Brush Street, St. Antoine, and First-Third), Midtown could really look unique. Also imagine streets with a uniform architectural style as opposed to a collage of mix and match buildings. I know, alot of people will say that it is preferable to have a different array of architecture. I personally prefer areas to have architecture which complements buildings with one another. At any rate, a European feeling in Midtown in my mind would give Midtown a desired urban setting. And if we could find a philanthropist to fund a 500 foot Spirit of Detroit statue in the middle of a roundabout with fountains around it and an observatory deck on top,why not?..

ND, I was going to ask if you were dropped on your head as a child, however, I after thinking about it, I'll have to revise that and ask how many times you were dropped.

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Originally Posted by Lowell

I have to agree with the sentiments above. We need to be ourselves, warts and all. I like a quote I heard recently, "Be yourself, everybody else is taken." To name ourselves after another and fabulous city just opens us to wannabee derision.

There is no French community in any real sense, just names of streets and surnames like mine, Boileau, and like most Detroiters with French names I speak very little French and have no identity with the 'home' country.

New Orleans by contrast has a full blown French-speaking Cajun community and culture surrounding it.

For rebranding purposes I think we have an opportunity to play up our international border cities status or as I like to call us, "World's Greatest International Metropolis". Sadly our pointless and increasingly restrictive border is working against that opportunity.

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Lowell, give it up already!

France does not have a uniform form of architecture. New stuff there is not built to look old.

Detroit's boulevards were designed after the pattern found in Washington DC. Therefore maybe we should restrict the height of Detroit's buildings and rip down everything taller that ten stories like the have in DC?

I don't want to turn Detroit into anymore of a Disneyland than it already is. We need need to have our own identity. Granted our current identity as an old worn out industrial town is not great but it does reflect what we are.

Detroit, the Kinshasa of North America.

Detroit's evolution was an organic one that was based on a process that halted about 50 years ago -- growth. Bing, for all his faults, is the first mayor who has acknowledged the city needs to plan for further shrinking. I agree with gnome, who said most Detroiters just want a cop to show up when needed. The News reports today the fire commissioner admitted to city council yesterday that EMS is on the verge of collapse. Detroit's challenge, and it is a huge one, is to make the city livable and safe with the dwindling amount of revenue available while hoping some of that old growth magic can re-emerge.

Well played Hermod. I have had visitors who watched the Detroit news over a few days span and couldn't believe all the crap that happens "in a city in the USA".

In my younger days on DYes, I touted the idea of having a Quartier Latin like New Orleans. And in usual DYes fashion, was mocked.

As a Francophile and French major, I cannot say that Detroit needs to be the Paris of the Midwest. Yes, nice trees along our wide boulevards would look nice. But can't we start with our own identity rather than another city's?

Newdetroit, you sound like me when I first started here. Then I grew up.:)

I think Detroit needs extensive study by the best urban planning firms in the world because of its size and importance, and because the transit infrastructure needed to make it bloom is massive.

Regional cohesion is the element that will make it happen. The process for development should involve severe limitations on new construction, thereby favoring rehabilitation of all significant buildings in the city.

Measures to protect vacant schools, and other state owned buildings should be guaranteed etc...

The downtown needs to favor street access to pedestrians and anything that can promote small to medium sized businesses to set up in the core. This will help tourism, attract regional commuters who work in Detroit or come to play.

The demand for housing will come about from a new interest in downtown which already exists but is fragile. People who buy a condo in downtown need access to supermarkets and shops and until they can avoid transit to suburban shops, the problem of value for money will remain.

Detroit's region is rich enough to support this overhaul. The area's gross domestic product is very strong and therefore the haves should spread the wealth, and who knows, they may be surprised at the return on investment.

Detroiters need to say NO to commercial, residential and industrial developments and concepts that repeat the errors of the past in spite of a hunger for jobs.

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Originally Posted by Lowell

There is no French community in any real sense, just names of streets and surnames like mine, Boileau, and like most Detroiters with French names I speak very little French and have no identity with the 'home' country.

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There is no French community in Detroit, yes. But the French community in Essex County is still going strong. Communities like Lakeshore, St. Joachim, Belle River, River Canard, LaSalle, and Windsor proper have sizeable French-Canadian minorities or total majorities. Most of these are the descendants from the days of Cadillac and after.

I remember reading the last French speaker this side of the river, died in Monroe-Frenchtown area in the 1930s.

Being that I am from fine French Stock [[with a ton of German added in for good measure) I am all for us being more Frenchlike....

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Originally Posted by Hermod

Detroit, the Kinshasa of North America.

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As long as we don't become the Mogadishu of North America, we're cool.

There are a couple of French restaurants now, isn't that good enough?

http://www.goodgirlsgotopariscrepes.com/

http://lepetitzincdetroit.com/

NO! I love Detroit and I love Paris. But we will never be the anything of the Midwest except maybe Mogadishu. :)

Seriously though, we have nothing in common with Paris. I have been there four times. Paris is an apex urban area that ranks with places like London, Vienna, Rome, Moscow, Prague, Budapest, etc. We have nearly nothing in common with those places.

We are a large urban area ourselves with some unique attractions and history, but we do not compare to such places as Paris.

I love Detroit for what it is. Granted that ain't much, but it's home. And it's affordable.

Yes, I always thought a smaller Eiffel Tower right where the Hart Plaza is, would set Datwa off.

Montreal has been called the Paris of North America but it bears little resemblance to it. I totally agree with those of you like kryptonite who want to do away with the wannabe syndrome. But we can imitate features and maybe improve on all cities by comparing notes. We can restore and use the best of what we have from the past, i.e; Detroit Opera House. Cities need to innovate in terms of urban planning to reduce energy use but they must also avoid new architecture that limits human interaction. In the best possible world, Detroit would not become the plaything of one visionary architect, but rather a rebirth that came about from diligent participatory process.

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Originally Posted by Newdetroit

So, what do people think about creating an urban plan for Detroit that is European [[or Parisian) in style and not American. We can make Detroit the most unique American city. Specifically, roundabouts, fountains, statutues, plazas, lined trees, cobble-stone streets, and a UNIFORM ARCHITECTURE of apartments and condos that look European. Instead of going to Paris, people can visit Detroit? Any thoughts?????

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Not to sound like I'm going on some Republican/Tea Party patriot rant, but I like being American. We need to keep our American styled city with just that style. We wouldn't be some unique American city by looking European. We'd just be copycats who couldn't come up with something on their own.

Doing a complete overhaul of the City's infrastructure, even if done in the limited area of Midtown [[which I think looks pretty good right now with recent improvements), to install all the items you are suggesting would cost tons of money the City doesn't have right now or anytime in the, dare I say, near or distant future. I think what we have now is fine, except it just needs to be cleaned up & maintained properly.

BTW, try running a snow plow over those cobblestone streets in winter when we get hit with 6 inches of snow.

Reference Constantinos Doxiodos megalopolis study with Detroit as the center from Chicago to Montreal.

if there can be a 'Frenchtown' section of Detroit, that may be cool.. a small scale version of the above suggestions..

Well didn't Detroit try to create a Chinatown? Maybe we can put a French Quarter and have our own Mardi Gras..

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and have our own Mardi Gras..

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We already do, it's called Paczki Day.

Where would be the best place for the Arc de Tragédie?

Oh! The MCS, of course! :D

Thanks Ronaldj, I'll check that out.

You guys are funny, I like that frenchified Detroit thing. I really liked the Nain Rouge parade which seemed like the rebirth of a tradition that expressed a lot of Detroit grit. I can imagine it becoming bigger and better. It also serves to get away from the constant pounding of reality .

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Originally Posted by Pam

We already do, it's called Paczki Day.

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Wikipedia calls the Jobbie Nooner the "Mardi Gras of the Midwest."

Paczki Day, Jobbie Nooner and our St. Patrick's Day parade is no slouch.

Detroit throws some good parties.

There must be a few times when Paris wishes it was us??? Maybe??? OK, then how about Paris Hilton? :D

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Wikipedia calls the Jobbie Nooner the "Mardi Gras of the Midwest."

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But it doesn't take place on Fat Tuesday and Paczki Day does.

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Originally Posted by Newdetroit

Detroit was once dubbed the Paris of North American in 1930. Should we not try to reclaim this title in 2030? If you were to ask people all over the world, what is your most preferred city, surely Paris would make the list. Why? To begin, Paris has beautiful architecture, boulevards, cultural attractions, and so forth. Let's face it, French culture sells. So why should we not market it to our advantage? New Orleans is a case in point...imagine what New Orleans would be without its French Quarter and French cultural heritage?

Detroit would not be refabricating history or pretending to be of French heritage either. Our city was founded by a Frenchman and the radiating boulevards from Campus Martius illustrate the original French design. We have started La March de Nain Rouge. The DIA is beax-arts in architecture.

So, what do people think about creating an urban plan for Detroit that is European [[or Parisian) in style and not American. We can make Detroit the most unique American city. Specifically, roundabouts, fountains, statutues, plazas, lined trees, cobble-stone streets, and a UNIFORM ARCHITECTURE of apartments and condos that look European. Instead of going to Paris, people can visit Detroit? Any thoughts?????

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Apart from a question of degrees that is all about simply being broke, a realistic version of what you're describing is downtown and, to a lesser degree, a post-M1 midtown. The medians and parks in the general vicinity of Campus Martius have improved a great deal over the last 5 years, there are sidewalk cafes [[weather permitting), etc. The things that don't conform to your idea - the absence of cobblestone [[side) streets, the absence of fountains, the continued existence of slummy surface lots the "broken windows" of which are a drag on the whole neighborhood - well look, there's just no money in the kitty for that right now.

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Originally Posted by Newdetroit

Well didn't Detroit try to create a Chinatown?

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No, Detroit had two Chinatowns that grew naturally out of its Chinese enclave. Two, as the first one of displaced because of the Lodge.

The "Asiantown" was the pathetic attempt at culture. What was it? 1 restaurant in a plaza strip on the riverfront? Give me a break!

Official list of sister cities and Paris is not one of them.
Chongquing in China. How fitting.... That where our workforce is.
Dubai, UAE. That's where the money went.
Kitwe, Zambia. Lord knows why.
Minsk, Belarus. Last country with lower wages than us.
Nassau, Bahamas. Where our CEOs go for the holidays.
Toyota, Japan. Cause you want to be close to your enenmies.
Turin, Piemonte. See Toyota, this is the birthplace of Fiat.

Intersting is that Dearborn is sistercity to Qana.... in Lebanon.


Complete list of Sistercities of Michigan.

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Originally Posted by dtowncitylover

No, Detroit had two Chinatowns that grew naturally out of its Chinese enclave. Two, as the first one of displaced because of the Lodge.

The "Asiantown" was the pathetic attempt at culture. What was it? 1 restaurant in a plaza strip on the riverfront? Give me a break!

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Chinatowns create themselves. If the city tries to create them, it just ends up as another Epcot [[at great expense).

Toronto has a magnificent Chinatown which just grew by itself.

.

Yup Toronto has two or three chinatowns now. Montreal has a second one that sprung up over the past ten years because our old Chinatown was squished by stupid unfocussed development in the old streets that should have been revamped by the city. Toronto is a good example of the positive force civic administrations exert in neighborhood commercial development.

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Originally Posted by ronaldj

Reference Constantinos Doxiodos megalopolis study with Detroit as the center from Chicago to Montreal.

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For those who wish to know more about it, Doxiadis Associates' three-volume, five-year study [[which was sponsored by Detroit Edison and completed in 1970), attempted to define the future boundaries of the then suspected, but barely detectable, Great Lakes Megalopolis.

Using Principal Component Analysis techniques with a set of 40 variables, they predicted the areal definition of a future Great Lakes Megalopolis. The area within their defined boundary formed a continuous band located south of lakes Michigan, Huron and Erie, that extended from Milwaukee to Pittsburgh. It included four clearly identifiable urban clusters [[Milwaukee-Chicago, Detroit, Cleveland and Pittsburgh) with the Urban Detroit Area [[UDA) located located roughly at its center. The UDA consisted of 25 counties in eastern Michigan, 9 in Ohio and 3 in Ontario, with Detroit as its major urban center.

Their study also looked at alternative futures for the UDA and identified several that would improve organizational efficiencies while contributing to the continued growth of the UDA. Their selected alternative envisioned the establishment of a new twin urban center in St. Clair County that was predicated on the:
a) successful reorganization of the land transportation system to form a gridiron network across the UDA
b) concentration of new major functions in the new twin urban center to attract the continuing growth in that direction.
This alternative predicted a doubling of the UDA population to 15 million by the year 2000.

Petanque - a very French sport - has been played in Detroit for ten years [[and in Michigan for over 40 years). The Detroit Petanque Club started playing along the Detroit Riverfront, then moved to Campus Martius Park; and for the past few years now plays at the adjoining park: Cadillac Square. Meeting weekdays, 12:10pm-1pm[[ish) No Fees, all equipment supplied. Lots of fun trash talking, we are a social, somewhat competitive group. At the older club [[which meets in Royal Oak on Sundays at 1pm) there are some older French players. Petanque is the French version of bocci. www.detroitpetanque.com

http://www.thedetroiter.com/b_city/b..._petanque_club

http://www.metrotimes.com/editorial/story.asp?id=7762

http://www.modeldmedia.com/features/pet10607.aspx

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Originally Posted by Newdetroit

My main goal in posting this was to see what people's thoughts were regarding architecture and urban planning in addition to rebolstering our French heritage. I think that Detroit does indeed have great architecture and history. I, in no way, mean that we should copy another city. But I can't help but feel that Detroit could incoroporate urban planning from European models. Case in point: architectural uniformity, cobble stoned streets, tree-lined avenues, fountains, roundabouts, plazas, and statues. This does not erase Detroit and its history, but rather give it a pleasant urban setting. Imagine if Midtown made some of these changes?? Imagine Woodward with lined trees, fountains in the median, statues throughout Midtown, and Masonic temple's park turned into a plaza. Put in cobble stoned streets throughout Midtown [[Wodward, Warren, Mack, John R, Brush Street, St. Antoine, and First-Third), Midtown could really look unique. Also imagine streets with a uniform architectural style as opposed to a collage of mix and match buildings. I know, alot of people will say that it is preferable to have a different array of architecture. I personally prefer areas to have architecture which complements buildings with one another. At any rate, a European feeling in Midtown in my mind would give Midtown a desired urban setting. And if we could find a philanthropist to fund a 500 foot Spirit of Detroit statue in the middle of a roundabout with fountains around it and an observatory deck on top,why not?..

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I think it would be nice if we could get the streetlights working again and cut police response time under 4 hours...

Well Detroit has the architecture in Midtown and downtown that europeans envied for a long time before they built skyscrapers. People behind the Book Cadillac Hotel were pretty courageous to renovate the place and their situation may be fragile, but it would be nice if a lot of investors stred underwriting some schemes in clusters. If small business was helped after the redesign of some vacant buildings by teams of promoters the effect would be stronger and faster. All these areas need is some help in putting businesses on street level through incentives like the Marshall plan did for post war Europe, is that such an impossible thing to consider in 2010? Anything that restores these vital areas to their former glory but with the addition of proper transit on Woodward, some sidewalk activity in restaurants and cafes will give value to the rest of the city. THe youger st more adventurous, will definitely adopt the urban as opposed to suburban environment they are condemned to.

It's all there minus the freaking parking lots. The thing I hate the most about my downtown are parking lots.

Thirteen-minute audio at the link:

Detroit is usually a melting pot for different cultures, so what happened to the founding French?

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The area that became Detroit was founded in 1701 by a French man, Antoine de la Mothe Cadillac. Fast forward over 300 years and the French influence in Detroit can be hard to find.

On a new episode of The Daily J podcast , WWJ's Zach Clark hits the wayback machine to find out what happened to local French culture.

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