Last thread! Complete list of 17 ideas for detroit!

It is apparent that many people think that my proposals for rejuvenating and reinvigorating Detroit are crazy. I however feel that they are exploratory ideas for the community to consider working towards in making Detroit advance culturally and economically. So here is my final and last thread which lists everything I have proposed. Alot of people think that the below ideas are strange...but I am not sure why people would be against such changes. The main issue to me is the funding but does not mean that these are ideas to just put off as meaningless or crazy.

1)Icentivize people who live in blighted areas to relocate and clear the land to create technology districts. Each technology district will focus on a specific emerging sector. It would look like a coroporate parkway or airport terminals.

2)Rezone Midtown to ensure that the area is completely pedestrian and prevent strip malls and buldings that are setback.

3)Beautify Midtown with statues, cobbled-stone streets, fountains down the median of Woodward, avenues with lined-trees, and make Cass Park a European style Plaza.

4)Consider architectural uniformity in districts of Detroit.

5)Build an extensive subway throughout the city and Metro Detroit

6)Rehabiliate abandoned homes in areas not going to be cleared out and provide them to Section 8 people who would be responsible for the taxes to build up the tax base for the city.

7)Bolster economic and social ties with Grand Rapids.

8)Push for Detroit to consolidate with 200 square miles of Wayne County to make the population move to 1.6 million enabling the city to reclaim itself as the 5th largest city and to receive more federal funds as well as diversify the demographics of the city.

9)Think of a powerful icon for the city...I mentioned the Spirit of Detroit as it is a loved icon and the city could use another tourist destination as well as an observatory deck.

10)Push for bullet trains from Detroit to Chicago via I-94, one via I-96 to Lansing/Grand Rapids, and one up I-75 pass flint, Saginaw/Bay/Traverse City.

11)Create a Circle at 9 and Woodward to improve the downtown of Ferndale in connecting both sides of Woodward.

12)Work with non-profit organizations to start a mentoring program to encourage high school students stay in school and to tutor them.

13)Create a French Quarter and promote a Mardi Gras. Bolster cultural and economic ties with Quebec, France, and French Speaking Africa.

14)Lure urban professionals into the city.

15)Think of ways to market our Music tradition: the Detroit Music Awards, the Motown musuem, electronics festival...Maybe talk Mtv in having a studio here.

16)Turning the Packard, Model T, and Fisher plants into musuems.

17)Create a walk of fame with stars on the street of Detroit's legends.

There...17 ideas for the city. Ok its now your turn to say how crazy all the above sounds and that Detroit is fine the way it is..........:rolleyes:. AND WHEN YOU RIP ON ME FOR THESE IDEAS, I LOVE TO LAUGH SO KEEP MAKING THEM COMICAL!

You can never get your message across if you just give up when people question you. If you put yourself out there, expect to be criticized as much as you're agreed with. It comes with the territory.

I think that you can't make a "scene"[[I hate that bloody term) happen. It just happens naturally, like a lightning bolt setting off a forest fire.

Before, I was very much like you - idealistic, thinking that planned character will save a city but now I really think that before Detroit can do what you and many people have suggested, it needs to repair its economy with good paying jobs and vastly improved city services. Even in its darkest days in the 70s and 80s, when so many amazing things were happening there the great American artistic incubator New York still had jobs, still had city services, so when people point at the gentrification of other places it makes me cringe. This is a city unlike any other on earth, so what will save this city will be a uniquely Detroit creation. The inventiveness of the people of Detroit will save it.

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Originally Posted by Newdetroit

2)Rezone Midtown to ensure that the area is completely pedestrian and prevent strip malls and buldings that are setback.

3)Beautify Midtown with statues, cobbled-stone streets, fountains down the median of Woodward, avenues with lined-trees, and make Cass Park a European style Plaza.

4)Consider architectural uniformity in districts of Detroit.

6)Rehabiliate abandoned homes in areas not going to be cleared out and provide them to Section 8 people who would be responsible for the taxes to build up the tax base for the city.

12)Work with non-profit organizations to start a mentoring program to encourage high school students stay in school and to tutor them.

14)Lure urban professionals into the city.

15)Think of ways to market our Music tradition: the Detroit Music Awards, the Motown musuem, electronics festival...Maybe talk Mtv in having a studio here.

16)Turning the Packard, Model T, and Fisher plants into musuems.

17)Create a walk of fame with stars on the street of Detroit's legends.

There...17 ideas for the city. Ok its now your turn to say how crazy all the above sounds and that Detroit is fine the way it is..........:rolleyes:. AND WHEN YOU RIP ON ME FOR THESE IDEAS, I LOVE TO LAUGH SO KEEP MAKING THEM COMICAL!

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I understand the desire to see the city do well. It's great that you keep generating ideas. I see a number of them that are sensible.

Midtown should be built in a way that makes it pedestrian friendly. That means that if the community becomes a successful hub, people will need to move in to enjoy the amenities.

The city should encourage some architectural uniformity. However, they should not do this at the expense of creativity which could also be a draw.

Rehabilitating homes in areas that will not be shuttered is fine. But I believe there are income constraints to section 8 that will impede there ability to work enough to earn the taxes.

High school kids from the rougher schools sometimes need mentoring. This is fine as long as the volunteers are committed. Consistency is sometimes all that is needed. Who would do the tutoring/mentoring? How involved would the newcomers be?

Urban professionals [[yuppies of all cloth and color) mean that jobs are around to support them and their lifestyle. Detroit's not quite there yet, though there are pockets of it.

The music tradition should be highlighted. The DEMF is great and is very diverse. Maybe the city should do a yearly tribute to Motown festival, inviting successful contemporary soul/R&B acts to perform. How about something similar for the rock scene? This is a great part of Detroit's heritage. MTV will not move to Detroit. They're not even in Chicago.

I love the idea, but don't each of the former Big 3 have their own historical sections in their respective headquarters? Good idea though.

I like the walk of fame idea. How about doing it at the intersection of Jefferson and Woodward on the Hart Plaza side.

I'm not the type to rag on anyone's ideas. The only thing I would suggest is if you live in the city, go talk to a council member. Although they may be fairly ineffective, they do represent the city. An like I said, many of them are good ideas. You could always attend a council meeting. I'm certain they allow time for commentary from the citizens and your ideas can be entered into record.

Good luck with your ideas and efforts.

I agree with rhythmc that good ideas have to be discussed and brought to the attention of you city councillors but also music promoters etc...

Newdetroit, get involved with people who are ready to change things, bring your ideas to promoters politicians in civic meetings dont hold back from taking the mike at any citizen's forum on the future of your city. The worse that can happen is that you and other people like you either stay in Detroit or leave and regret not having done enough for your city. I appreciate that you want to create links with France, Quebec and French Africa. That all makes sense to me. Lowell talked about how Louisiana has a strong french tradition and that the french language is still alive. There is in fact a lot of cultural exchange between Louisiana and Quebec and France in the past forty years. One really great cajun entertainer made a career in french music and renewing the tradition and now writes in both languages. I'll let you read his bio.

http://www.zacharyrichard.com/english/biography.html

I especially like your ideas on cultural issues as they reflect the importance of respecting and building on Detroit's great musical tradition and invention as well as the need to showcase Detroit as the automotive crucible. The Model T Piquette plant was long overdue and it came out of minds and hearts of enthusiasts, not the corporation. I also think Midtown with its beautiful buildings both corporate and residential and high density would be ideal for pedestrian malls and roundabouts.
If you dont ask, you dont get.

Thanks for the above encouragement. The city has met both a social and economic calamity, and many people do not seem to understand this.

Socially: 1)teenage pregnancies, 2)high crime index, 3)abysmal schooling system with the lowest graduation rate, 3) a culture of dependence on social assistance, and 4)racial polorization of the region.

Economically: 1)blight, 2)dwindling population, 3)dwindiling tax base, 4)crumbling infrastructure, and 5)an economy that has not diversified itself for a post industrial age. This is why I think that people in the region really need to take these issues seriously and not be so concerned as to whether the Red Wings win a game. We have a catastrophe here...Our state's median income dropped 20% in the last ten years while nationally it was 6.5% and we are second in the nation in terms of foreclosure. So what is the plan???? Do we all just hope that magically there will be some change. Perhaps the Emir of Dubai will adopt us and donate all of their money to us.

So this is why clearing out the blighted areas is so important. I am adamant about building "Technology Districts." Yes, poor people will have to relocate and educated people have to move in. I know that this sounds repugnant to many. Detroit should market itself as the "City of Technology" everywhere...ads, the airport, online, conferences. It should divide the land into different Technology Districts.. We can start immediately..1)Movie Production and 2)Agriculture.

Many international investors would love to obtain US citizenship. Detroit really needs to market itself as the "City of Technology and Innovation." China is growing and its becoming a creditor nation. Detroit should push as hard as it can in attracting investors from China and India. Technology zones in cleared out land is the way to go with offering Visas which is actually a program Macomb country is starting. Invest 500,000 to a million and employ 50 people. I was in Dubai and met an businessman who will be doing this but in California.

I mentioned the beautification of Detroit as another important step in economic development. We don't need nor have the resources to build a skyline. I was thinking out of the box in terms of what could Detroit do to improve its image [[shatering the image of a blighted slum). What can make Detroit be unique and not look like any other city. I mentioned incorporating Old City European style of urbanism as one way to make the city look unique.

In terms of social problems, government cannot play that much a role. However, just curious, is there a prohibition against having a school nurse in every high school and providing contreception, or segregating boys and girls in high school. Perhaps a three tiered schooling system where people who do well are put in tier 1, people who are behind the curve are put in tier 2 and speical attention such as mentors and smaller classrooms are made available, and tier 3 for those students who exhibit violence or truancy. At this tier, community leaders and psychologists are involved and civic participation are placed into the schools. As far as those people who have been on public assistance for long periods, perhaps the state should require them to go back to school to keep receiving assistance and any mother who has a truant child, funds should be cut off....This is exactly what Wisconsin did decades ago called Learnfare. Whether or not it is effective is immaterial to me..But a cycle of dependence of public aid and lack of education needs to come to an end without having to make an effort to go better yourself.

I have some ideas that I'd like to share with everyone, too! Let me know what you think:

1) Have everyone move from the suburbs to the city.
2) Reduce class sizes in DPS, establishing a 2-1 student to teacher ratio.
3) Cut all the grass. In fact, cut Southfield's, too. They'll need it!
4) Have a massive cleanup and demolish every building that is beyond repair.
5) Restore every historic building within the city's limits, to the HILT.
6) Achieve complete racial harmony
7) Eliminate crime
8) Make every square mile an empowerment zone, and don't make people pay taxes. Taxes are for punks.
9) Open a Cheesecake Factory. No, wait, two!

According to my calculations, the current budget could accomplish this in 6 weeks. Let's get started!

Just teasing you, NewDetroit. All in good fun :P

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Originally Posted by Newdetroit

It is apparent that many people think that my proposals for rejuvenating and reinvigorating Detroit are crazy. I however feel that they are exploratory ideas for the community to consider working towards in making Detroit advance culturally and economically. So here is my final and last thread which lists everything I have proposed. Alot of people think that the below ideas are strange...but I am not sure why people would be against such changes. The main issue to me is the funding but does not mean that these are ideas to just put off as meaningless or crazy.

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Your enthusiasm is appreciated. It just seems some of your ideas may be rooted in naivete. In the spirit of constructive criticism:

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Originally Posted by Newdetroit

1)Icentivize people who live in blighted areas to relocate and clear the land to create technology districts. Each technology district will focus on a specific emerging sector. It would look like a coroporate parkway or airport terminals.

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I think by "incentivize", the City is already trying to downsize, proposing to relocate folks from sparsely populated "neighborhoods" to more densely populated areas. Of late, this idea has been met with resistance from residents of the affected areas. After the Slum Clearance programs of the 1960s, can you blame them?

It's not clear what you mean by "technology district". Please define.

And do you really want Detroit to look like a "corporate parkway" or "airport terminal"? Detroit is not Troy. It's not Tysons Corner, Virginia. Nor should it be.

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Originally Posted by Newdetroit

2)Rezone Midtown to ensure that the area is completely pedestrian and prevent strip malls and buldings that are setback.

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This would be a terrific idea for the ENTIRE city.

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Originally Posted by Newdetroit

3)Beautify Midtown with statues, cobbled-stone streets, fountains down the median of Woodward, avenues with lined-trees, and make Cass Park a European style Plaza.

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I think what you're getting at here is an emphasis on design, which admittedly, Detroit is lacking. I'm not sure that statues and cobblestones, in and of themselves, are going to help the City, though.

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Originally Posted by Newdetroit

4)Consider architectural uniformity in districts of Detroit.

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Please elaborate. One could argue that Sterling Heights has architectural uniformity [[which, by it's zoning regulation, it does).

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Originally Posted by Newdetroit

5)Build an extensive subway throughout the city and Metro Detroit

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Subway ain't gonna happen. Detroit doesn't have the population density necessary to support subway service. Light rail, on the other hand, is *very* doable.

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Originally Posted by Newdetroit

6)Rehabiliate abandoned homes in areas not going to be cleared out and provide them to Section 8 people who would be responsible for the taxes to build up the tax base for the city.

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Who pays for this? It's not a bad idea to rehabilitate old housing stock, but no investor is going to proceed with it if his handiwork is going to be taken and given away.

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Originally Posted by Newdetroit

7)Bolster economic and social ties with Grand Rapids.

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...and Lansing, Flint, Ann Arbor, and Toledo, among others.

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Originally Posted by Newdetroit

8)Push for Detroit to consolidate with 200 square miles of Wayne County to make the population move to 1.6 million enabling the city to reclaim itself as the 5th largest city and to receive more federal funds as well as diversify the demographics of the city.

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Not sure which, if any, problems this solves. Columbus, Ohio has been annexing outlying areas as de facto policy for 35 years. The inner core has the same problems it had 35 years ago. All annexation does is mask the true root of the problem.

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Originally Posted by Newdetroit

9)Think of a powerful icon for the city...I mentioned the Spirit of Detroit as it is a loved icon and the city could use another tourist destination as well as an observatory deck.

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Cities aren't built on public relations or "inspiration". Hank the Deuce proved as much when he built the Renaissance Center in an ill-fated attempt to inspire development in downtown Detroit.

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Originally Posted by Newdetroit

10)Push for bullet trains from Detroit to Chicago via I-94, one via I-96 to Lansing/Grand Rapids, and one up I-75 pass flint, Saginaw/Bay/Traverse City.

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The federal government is on top of this. Ohio is in line to receive $400 million to build a Cleveland-Columbus-Dayton-Cincinnati route, to become part of an eventual higher-speed statewide system, with Cleveland as the hub. Where's MDOT????

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Originally Posted by Newdetroit

11)Create a Circle at 9 and Woodward to improve the downtown of Ferndale in connecting both sides of Woodward.

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One could argue that downtown Ferndale is one of the gems of Southeastern Michigan. What does a circle get you that you don't already have?

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Originally Posted by Newdetroit

12)Work with non-profit organizations to start a mentoring program to encourage high school students stay in school and to tutor them.

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No comment here.

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Originally Posted by Newdetroit

13)Create a French Quarter and promote a Mardi Gras. Bolster cultural and economic ties with Quebec, France, and French Speaking Africa.

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This sounds like more Bread and Circuses to me. The historical ties with French culture died long ago in Detroit. You're banking on a carnival to rescue the city. It's just made-up, not unlike hoping that the Super Bowl would get things rolling.

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Originally Posted by Newdetroit

14)Lure urban professionals into the city.

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A synonym for "lure" is "trick". You have to create the elements that make it *desirable* for urban professionals to *want* to live in Detroit.

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Originally Posted by Newdetroit

15)Think of ways to market our Music tradition: the Detroit Music Awards, the Motown musuem, electronics festival...Maybe talk Mtv in having a studio here.

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Again, more PR bullshit. Nobody relocates or starts a company based on PR alone. Where's your substance?

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Originally Posted by Newdetroit

16)Turning the Packard, Model T, and Fisher plants into musuems.

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What do you hope to accomplish with this? Detroit already has enough cultural institutions that are struggling. Who funds this?

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Originally Posted by Newdetroit

17)Create a walk of fame with stars on the street of Detroit's legends.

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Again, more PR bullshit.

Ghettopalmetto:
A science park or science and technology park is an area with a collection of buildings dedicated to scientific research on a business footing. There are many approximate synonyms for "science park", including research park, technology park, technopolis and biomedical park. The appropriate term typically depends on the type of science and research in which the park's entities engage, but many of these developments are named according to which term gives the park the best profitability and naming advantages. Often, science parks are associated with or operated by institutions of higher education [[colleges and universities).

These parks differ from typical high-technology business districts in that science parks and the like are more organized, planned, and managed. They differ from science centres in being concerned with future developments in science and technology. Typically businesses and organizations in the parks focus on product advancement and innovation as opposed to industrial parks that focus on manufacturing and business parks that focus on administration.
Besides building area, these parks offer a number of shared resources, such as uninterruptible power supply, telecommunications hubs, reception and security, management offices, restaurants, bank offices, convention center, parking, internal transportation, entertainment and sports facilities, etc. In this way, the park offers considerable advantages to hosted companies, by reducing overhead costs with these facilities.

Science and technology parks are encouraged by local governments, in order to attract new companies to towns, and to expand their tax base and employment opportunities to citizens. Land and other taxes are usually waived off or reduced along a number of years, in order to attract new companies for the science and technological parks. I am assuming that areas next to the City Airport will be cleared...What better is there than to have a "future" airport in the midst of a science or technology park?

Secondly, in terms of Detroit consolidating with the rest of Wayne County, you mentioned Columbus as doing this with problems at the core of the city. You also said that it is just masking the problem. To some degree, yes. Why not? Detroit suffers immensely from an image problem. If the city were larger, the statistics of the city would be different and could be used as a way to improve perception which may also assist in economic investors. Shattering the image of blight, crime, proverty, etc is necessary. Now, consolidating just helps in changing perceptions, and I agree a long-term plan would be needed to address the social and economic problems of the current Detroit.

Third, when I said lure urban professionals, I meant attract.

Fourth, I never said that Mardis Gras or a French District would save the city. But rather, I don't think that it would hurt to reinvigorate our French heritage. Our city's boulevards are Parisian, names of streets are French, we were founded by a Frenchman, our flag depicts our French heritage, we border a country which French-is an one of the official languages, La Marche de Nain Rouge is celebrated, Petenaque is played, a large French community lives across the river, and we are hours away from Quebec. Please do not misunderstand me. I am not saying we should all learn French and act as if we are French. But just merely suggesting that we have a part of our history that maybe we should tap into. St. Louis did and they have the biggest Mardi Gras event outside of New Orleans.

Fifth, PR is what Detroit needs to improve its image. Focussing on being known as the Music City or City of Technology in addition to Motown/MotorCity can only help. Invigorate our Music industry...As filming studios have come to town, maybe Harmonie Park cann attract more music studios.

Sixth, architectural uniformity...I would hardly call Sterling Heights a model. Paris, Rome, London...etc have uniform architecture...Facades, roofs, colors, and heigh restrictions are examples. Google map Paris and see what I mean...

Seventh, I do not believe an underground subway is possible for the entire region. I was merely referring to certain limited areas in the city. Lightrail is the way to go and Detroit has a lager population and population density than several cities that have light rail..

Eighth, the circle in Ferndale was just an idea...I am not losing sleep over it..lol...But it came to my mind as a way to consolidate downtown Ferndale and to connect both sides of Woodward.

Ninth: In terms of bolstering ties with Grand Rapid: simply because it has a combined statistical metropolis of 1.3 million people. More economic and social interaction with Western Michigan cannot hurt.

Tenth, if we don't have the funds to upkeep the packard plant and Model T plants, I would obviously say scrap the idea. But once again, if philanthropists managed to fund this, I don't think it would be a bad idea.

Lastly, the Spirit of Detroit...I just thought of a powerful icon for the city. In no way do I believe that any funds from the city should be used for such a thing. But I merely asked, if a philanthopist or fundraisers were able to reach the cost, would it be a good thing for the city to have another icon for the city with an observatory deck...Also, not losing sleep over whether or not a huge spirit of detroit statue is built.

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Originally Posted by Newdetroit

Ghettopalmetto:
A science park or science and technology park is an area with a collection of buildings dedicated to scientific research on a business footing. There are many approximate synonyms for "science park", including research park, technology park, technopolis and biomedical park. The appropriate term typically depends on the type of science and research in which the park's entities engage, but many of these developments are named according to which term gives the park the best profitability and naming advantages. Often, science parks are associated with or operated by institutions of higher education [[colleges and universities).

These parks differ from typical high-technology business districts in that science parks and the like are more organized, planned, and managed. They differ from science centres in being concerned with future developments in science and technology. Typically businesses and organizations in the parks focus on product advancement and innovation as opposed to industrial parks that focus on manufacturing and business parks that focus on administration.
Besides building area, these parks offer a number of shared resources, such as uninterruptible power supply, telecommunications hubs, reception and security, management offices, restaurants, bank offices, convention center, parking, internal transportation, entertainment and sports facilities, etc. In this way, the park offers considerable advantages to hosted companies, by reducing overhead costs with these facilities.

Science and technology parks are encouraged by local governments, in order to attract new companies to towns, and to expand their tax base and employment opportunities to citizens. Land and other taxes are usually waived off or reduced along a number of years, in order to attract new companies for the science and technological parks. I am assuming that areas next to the City Airport will be cleared...What better is there than to have a "future" airport in the midst of a science or technology park?

Secondly, in terms of Detroit consolidating with the rest of Wayne County, you mentioned Columbus as doing this with problems at the core of the city. You also said that it is just masking the problem. To some degree, yes. Why not? Detroit suffers immensely from an image problem. If the city were larger, the statistics of the city would be different and could be used as a way to improve perception which may also assist in economic investors. Shattering the image of blight, crime, proverty, etc is necessary. Now, consolidating just helps in changing perceptions, and I agree a long-term plan would be needed to address the social and economic problems of the current Detroit.

Third, when I said lure urban professionals, I meant attract.

Fourth, I never said that Mardis Gras or a French District would save the city. But rather, I don't think that it would hurt to reinvigorate our French heritage. Our city's boulevards are Parisian, names of streets are French, we were founded by a Frenchman, our flag depicts our French heritage, we border a country which French-is an one of the official languages, La Marche de Nain Rouge is celebrated, Petenaque is played, a large French community lives across the river, and we are hours away from Quebec. Please do not misunderstand me. I am not saying we should all learn French and act as if we are French. But just merely suggesting that we have a part of our history that maybe we should tap into. St. Louis did and they have the biggest Mardi Gras event outside of New Orleans.

Fifth, PR is what Detroit needs to improve its image. Focussing on being known as the Music City or City of Technology in addition to Motown/MotorCity can only help. Invigorate our Music industry...As filming studios have come to town, maybe Harmonie Park cann attract more music studios.

Sixth, architectural uniformity...I would hardly call Sterling Heights a model. Paris, Rome, London...etc have uniform architecture...Facades, roofs, colors, and heigh restrictions are examples. Google map Paris and see what I mean...

Seventh, I do not believe an underground subway is possible for the entire region. I was merely referring to certain limited areas in the city. Lightrail is the way to go and Detroit has a lager population and population density than several cities that have light rail..

Eighth, the circle in Ferndale was just an idea...I am not losing sleep over it..lol...But it came to my mind as a way to consolidate downtown Ferndale and to connect both sides of Woodward.

Ninth: In terms of bolstering ties with Grand Rapid: simply because it has a combined statistical metropolis of 1.3 million people. More economic and social interaction with Western Michigan cannot hurt.

Tenth, if we don't have the funds to upkeep the packard plant and Model T plants, I would obviously say scrap the idea. But once again, if philanthropists managed to fund this, I don't think it would be a bad idea.

Lastly, the Spirit of Detroit...I just thought of a powerful icon for the city. In no way do I believe that any funds from the city should be used for such a thing. But I merely asked, if a philanthopist or fundraisers were able to reach the cost, would it be a good thing for the city to have another icon for the city with an observatory deck...Also, not losing sleep over whether or not a huge spirit of detroit statue is built.

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Personally, I think Detroit has seen enough pie in the sky BS propsals to sink a battleship. If there's money to be raised, it should be used to preserve Detroit's historical heritage. churches, parks, architecture and museums. The rest can, and is, going straight to hell in a handbasket. Put your money where it does the most permanent good.

If private funds wish to do anything, there's ample room to do so. call me if there's any developments, OK? While you are at it, maybe you can pay the arsonists burning the eastside to stop it?

Newdetroit, you keep harping that Detroit has an IMAGE problem. Nothing could be further from the truth. Detroit has a REALITY problem, one that can't be fixed with PR.

You want an improved image for Detroit, you have to change the paradigm and solve some very real problems. None of your ideas dares to fix anything that is actually wrong with Detroit right now.

Ditto on 7!

Crime is the underlying deterrent to any potential desire for involvement in, or investment, interest OR restoration of Detroit.

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Originally Posted by REL

I have some ideas that I'd like to share with everyone, too! Let me know what you think:

1) Have everyone move from the suburbs to the city.
2) Reduce class sizes in DPS, establishing a 2-1 student to teacher ratio.
3) Cut all the grass. In fact, cut Southfield's, too. They'll need it!
4) Have a massive cleanup and demolish every building that is beyond repair.
5) Restore every historic building within the city's limits, to the HILT.
6) Achieve complete racial harmony
7) Eliminate crime
8) Make every square mile an empowerment zone, and don't make people pay taxes. Taxes are for punks.
9) Open a Cheesecake Factory. No, wait, two!

According to my calculations, the current budget could accomplish this in 6 weeks. Let's get started!

Just teasing you, NewDetroit. All in good fun :P

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