L. Brooks: "I Don't Want to End Sprawl. I Love it."

**Zaiko** · February-11-12, 04:23 PM

Patterson was on the Craig Fahle show Thursday.

He ended the interview with a defiant speech for sprawl.

http://www.michigannow.org/2012/02/11/3239/

Not all of us have heard him say exactly what we figure he's been meaning all these years.

**detlump** · February-11-12, 05:02 PM

Well, gotta appreciate the honesty. Problem is, sprawl is moving beyond Oakland County, into Macomb and west to Livingston and Washtenaw. Oakland is pretty much built up or over-priced, except where people don't want to live in Oakland county, like Pontiac. I could be wrong, maybe Pontiac is the place to be these days, I don't get up there too often except for the Dream Cruise.

**313WX** · February-11-12, 05:08 PM

Originally Posted by detlump

Well, gotta appreciate the honesty. Problem is, sprawl is moving beyond Oakland County, into Macomb and west to Livingston and Washtenaw. Oakland is pretty much built up or over-priced, except where people don't want to live in Oakland county, like Pontiac. I could be wrong, maybe Pontiac is the place to be these days, I don't get up there too often except for the Dream Cruise.

Oakland County's prime is pretty much behind it.

**Jowlska** · February-11-12, 05:53 PM

How old is this man? He seems to be the Fidel Castro of Oakland County. I am against sprawl for a number of reasons, but to say sprawl is economic development is shortsighted. Sprawl ends up costing tax payers in the long run because of all the infrastructure that follows it. Look at all of the rundown freeways throughout the city and suburbs. Sure at one time that was economic development, but in the long run has ruined the economy. That economic development he is talking about keeps moving outwards and will move right on out of Oakland County. Oakland County will eventually look like an even more rundown version of Detroit if sprawl keeps up. It's already happening. Look at Redford, Livonia, Warren, Lincoln Park, everywhere! It's all starting to fall apart as people leave the old for the new. Even far north in Waterford things are looking pretty bad. Michigan needs to get it together and stop sprawl.

**Artistic** · February-11-12, 05:49 PM

Nothing stays the same...the next big movement which I think is already in process is moving back into the city...wheather it's the big city or the smaller cities on the fringe of the big city.

**Detroitej72** · February-11-12, 06:28 PM

I have often wondered why nobody ever complains about the costs to the taxpayers with suburban sprawl. I'm sure the folks in Auburn Hills and beyond feel they are entitled to have new and expanded roads to take them home, but how many would be up in arms if their tax dollars went to replace say, the Southfield Freeway?

**313WX** · February-11-12, 06:33 PM

Originally Posted by Detroitej72

I have often wondered why nobody ever complains about the costs to the taxpayers with suburban sprawl. I'm sure the folks in Auburn Hills and beyond feel they are entitled to have new and expanded roads to take them home, but how many would be up in arms if their tax dollars went to replace say, the Southfield Freeway?

Well the fact of the matter is the folks in Auburn Hills have all the money in Detroit.

Since money is power, what they want pretty much goes, no matter if others think what they want is half-ass backwards or selfish.

**rb336** · February-16-12, 01:53 PM

Originally Posted by Detroitej72

I have often wondered why nobody ever complains about the costs to the taxpayers with suburban sprawl. I'm sure the folks in Auburn Hills and beyond feel they are entitled to have new and expanded roads to take them home, but how many would be up in arms if their tax dollars went to replace say, the Southfield Freeway?

i avoided this thread for a long time, brooksblather is tiresome. You want a good example of the outerburbs entitlement attitude? just look at how they shriek when asked to pay for extending the water system out to them

**Detroit Stylin** · February-11-12, 06:39 PM

If you are interested in reversing sprawl and stopping this regions backward slide join this group.

https://www.facebook.com/groups/LightRailNow/

and this one as well...

https://www.facebook.com/DetroitTransit

**DinNC** · February-11-12, 10:08 PM

Maybe when gas prices hit 5 or 6 dollars a gallon you might see some of the folks that work downtown move closer.

SteveJ · February-11-12, 10:51 PM

Originally Posted by DinNC

Maybe when gas prices hit 5 or 6 dollars a gallon you might see some of the folks that work downtown move closer.

The problem is very few work downtown. I was downtown a week ago on a Wednesday or Thursday going to get lunch and it was just a ghost town at noon. In any big city, it would be swamped with workers going to get lunch. Not Detroit.

**mwilbert** · February-11-12, 11:31 PM

Sprawl has worked for LBP for his entire career. Even if has stopped working, or stops working now, he is never going to live long enough to internalize that. And the same is true for most of his constituents.

**Detroitnerd** · February-13-12, 11:20 AM

Originally Posted by SteveJ

The problem is very few work downtown. I was downtown a week ago on a Wednesday or Thursday going to get lunch and it was just a ghost town at noon. In any big city, it would be swamped with workers going to get lunch. Not Detroit.

I would disagree. Downtown Detroit at lunchtime is not a "ghost town." Other big cities have more pedestrian traffic, but tens of thousands of metro Detroiters work downtown and there are scores of lunch places that do very well downtown. Not sure how they'd survive without the patronage, frankly ...

**Novine** · February-13-12, 12:00 PM

"In contrast to metros like Pittsburgh and Cleveland, Detroit grows most years. It had very impressive growth during the 1990's, but obviously stumbled badly during the late 00's."

Impressive? Between 1980 and 1990, the Detroit MSA grew 0.7%. Between 1990 and 2000, it grew 1.6%. Between 2000 and 2010, it declined 3.5%. By contrast, between 2000 and 2010, Charlotte, NC MSA grew 32%. Riverside-San Bernadino, CA, MSA grew by 29% and its population almost exceeded Detroit's MSA. Those are impressive growth numbers. Detroit's? Not impressive by any measure.

http://proximityone.com/metros0010.htm

**A2Mike** · May-10-14, 11:27 AM

Originally Posted by SteveJ

The problem is very few work downtown. I was downtown a week ago on a Wednesday or Thursday going to get lunch and it was just a ghost town at noon. In any big city, it would be swamped with workers going to get lunch. Not Detroit.

Until I retired two years ago I worked in downtown San Francisco, on Market between 7th and 8th Sts. Now and then I'd go shopping or on an errand and ride BART to Powell or Montgomery and then come up to wade through the crowds on Market or around Union Square, complaining about the pedestrian and vehicular traffic impeding my little excursion. Wow, I didn't know how good I had it!

**Hermod** · May-10-14, 07:33 PM

Originally Posted by A2Mike

Until I retired two years ago I worked in downtown San Francisco, on Market between 7th and 8th Sts. Now and then I'd go shopping or on an errand and ride BART to Powell or Montgomery and then come up to wade through the crowds on Market or around Union Square, complaining about the pedestrian and vehicular traffic impeding my little excursion. Wow, I didn't know how good I had it!

When I worked in downtown Detroit, we brown-bagged so that we could play Euchre in the office on our lunch hour. We never went out for lunch.

**Cincinnati_Kid** · February-11-12, 11:56 PM

^^ Good call. L Brooks doesn't give a damn about Detroit. Never did. It's all about Oakland County.

**rex** · February-13-12, 11:14 PM

Originally Posted by Cincinnati_Kid

^^ Good call. L Brooks doesn't give a damn about Detroit. Never did. It's all about Oakland County.

well. He is the oakland county commissioner. Oakland County will be alright. I would like to see it start moving back towards the inner ring but i doubt that will happen.

bartock · February-12-12, 12:15 AM

It is pretty obvious that even the original poster of this thread did not listen to the speech or read the link, which is an exact transcript of the speech. I have criticisms of LBP and don't agree with everything he says, but none of you who have responded so far even read or listened to what he said. The thread itself is completely inaccurrate, but the guy's such an easy target that everyone calling themselves "pro Detroit" these days has to assume that it is anti LBP or suburbs in general. And GOD FORBID the man actually does have a bone in his body that cares about the region, which could be accurately described as just as much City as it is Suburb.

**Baselinepunk** · February-12-12, 12:37 AM

"Oakland County's prime is pretty much behind it."

Yep ... Yep.

And Good Ole LBP sure had a great time during it all as well.

Just think; within 5 years this sorry-ass, sack o' shit will be gone one way or another.

Then we'll sit 'round; sip a few and place him with similar typology as Coleman A. Young.

First 'round is on me!

SteveJ · February-12-12, 09:22 AM

Originally Posted by Baselinepunk

"Oakland County's prime is pretty much behind it."

Yep ... Yep.

And Good Ole LBP sure had a great time during it all as well.

Just think; within 5 years this sorry-ass, sack o' shit will be gone one way or another.

Then we'll sit 'round; sip a few and place him with similar typology as Coleman A. Young.

First 'round is on me!

Well let me take it a step further and say the whole country's prime is pretty much behind it. To say that Oakland County is going through some steep decay while Wayne or Macomb are prospering is ridiculous. Oakland County is still leaps and bounds ahead of all the other counties in the region. I don't get why people get all up in arms because someone wants to live in Clarkston and not in the 'hood.

**Hypestyles** · May-10-14, 06:52 PM

so how much further is it going to spread? the regional wildlife is getting restless.. nationwide, it seems like people are so afraid of home invasion by "urban mongols", and they end up being greeted in their kitchen or garage by a bear or mountain lion.. even a startled deer/elk can cause some damage..

**Detroitej72** · February-12-12, 12:38 AM

Originally Posted by bartock

And GOD FORBID the man actually does have a bone in his body that cares about the region, which could be accurately described as just as much City as it is Suburb.

Educate us.

**Bham1982** · February-12-12, 12:46 AM

I'm no Brooks fan, but the source is basically garbage. That's not a legitimate headline, and the source is obviously wildly slanted.

If you look at the Patterson quotes, there's nothing controversial there. He mentions his support of Main Street programs within the county, and says that one man's sprawl is another man's growth. That's basically it.

**antongast** · February-12-12, 03:18 PM

Originally Posted by Bham1982

one man's sprawl is another man's growth.

This is a controversial statement. You might agree with Patterson that "sprawl" and "growth" have the same definition but different connotations, but that opinion is hardly universal. I would argue that metro Detroit is sprawling but not growing, and there are other places that are growing but not sprawling, and this shouldn't be possible if the two words essentially mean the same thing.