International investment magazine ranks Detroit fourth for economic potential

[Irvine Laird]

http://www.modeldmedia.com/features/...ntial0005.aspx

[Irvine Laird]

I found the study here.

Among large North American cities, Detroit ranks fourth for economic potential and third for infrastructure.

I thought the "infrastructure" rank was curious, considering the state of transit in the region. However, the gist of the ranking has more to do with movement of information, goods, services, and people between Detroit and abroad. The results confirm what the One D initiative has been telling us: Detroit is in a good position to be a global mobility center. That's the thinking behind the aerotropolis concept.

I wonder how much stock I should put in this study in light of Michigan's annual deficits, regulatory and tax climate, and union culture. I don't know enough about these things to speak with authority, but I do know they come up often as impediments to economic growth in this state.

[hudkina]

In that study a "large" city was only those that had a population between 500,000 and 1,000,000. There are only 25 cities in The U.S. with a population between 500,000 and 1,000,000. It's a little unclear if they used data solely from the municipal boundaries or included the entire metropolitan are.

[iheartthed]

In that study a "large" city was only those that had a population between 500,000 and 1,000,000. There are only 25 cities in The U.S. with a population between 500,000 and 1,000,000. It's a little unclear if they used data solely from the municipal boundaries or included the entire metropolitan are.

I'm curious about that too. Miami and Atlanta are both classified as major cities, while Detroit is only classified as a large city, yet both municipalities are significantly smaller than Detroit. And those respective metropolitan areas are roughly similar in size to Detroit.